Zero no Tsukaima: Project Warlock
by biohazard115
Summary: They married and wanted to live long and happy life... but they must face a threat to all Halkeginia, again. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

**Zeta Tucanae III, approximately 48 thousand years ago**

There are countless stars in Milky Way Galaxy.

Many of them are billions-year-old giants that are near the end of their life cycle; long ago, they absorbed all objects that were orbiting around them and are ready to end their lives in a bright supernova explosion. But there are young stars that have many planets – ranging from tiny barren rocks to huge gas giants. And some of these planets have an oxygen atmosphere and liquid water on their surface – in other words, they are capable of sustaining life.

One such planet orbits a white-yellow star that is located around twenty-eight light-years from the place that is known today as the Solar System. In turn, the planet sport two moons on its orbit – the bigger one is light blue, and the smaller is bright red. Together, they offer a spectacular evening view.

This planet was an ideal place for any species to live on – and indeed, it was inhabited by many unique life forms. Some of them, like dragons and salamanders, were fierce predators; others, like giant moles, were calm and docile creatures.

And then, there were Elves.

These beautiful creatures closely resembled ordinary man – except that their ears were long and pointy. They lived in many small villages scattered around boundaries of a vast desert, known to them as Great Sahara. Elves were a fairly simple and peaceful people – they did not wage wars between themselves, and they did not try to advance to the West, into plains and forests inhabited by primitive tribes of Men.

Instead, they embraced simple lives of hunters, miners and peasants. They never planted more grain or slaughtered more animals than they needed; their main rule was to live in harmony with nature and themselves.

But, like all in this young world, this was about to change.

…

'Ari! Ari! Where are you? Come home this second!' – deep and loud voice of Elf matron boomed through the oasis at the western outskirts of Great Desert. Nights set fast in desert, and it was already dark; but Ari, her youngest son, was still playing in the nearby palm grove.

She stepped outside to repeat her call; still, Ari was nowhere to be seen. 'Young man, in your nearest future your ass will have a close meeting with your father's belt!' – she thought as she walked off to the hedge around their house, looking for her son. Two moons gave enough light to spot him, running back home.

A faint flash in the sky catched her eyes; must be a falling star, she thought. According to old Elven beliefs, fallen stars were harbingers of change – if an Elf saw one, something important and life-defining was about to happen with him, be it good or bad. Many youngsters spent night after night trying to catch a falling star – dreaming of love of a beautiful maiden, or infinite riches. She was long past these years, but, as every Elf woman, she was a romantic for life.

'Please, give my Aysha a good husband!' she wished. Aysha, her eldest daughter, has just reached that particular age.

Fallen star blinked and vanished; immediately, other three appeared in its place, then five more popped in the sky. She never saw so many fallen stars; in fact, this was the first time she ever saw one.

'Mama, Mama, look at the sky!' Ari, joyful as ever, climbed over the hedge and dropped before his mother. 'Sky is so pretty tonight!'

'Alright, sweety, let's admire it for couple of minutes – but then you go to bed without any complaints, understand?' – she answered, unable to hide a smile.

'Okay, Mama!' little Elf hugged his mother's legs, asking for a return hug. It was given to him without any delay; then, both mother and son raised their heads.

Now there was dozens of falling stars, and with every second more appeared. One of the bright dots started to grow in size, then another; in a couple of seconds, they became sufficiently bright to cast shadows. Something was not right; a chill ran along woman's spine.

'Mama, I'm scared!' little Ari said, trembling with fear.

'Ari, go inside! Now!' mother answered in a voice trembling and full of concern. Little Elf dashed to the house; light from strange objects became so bright that he could clearly see path to the door. It was just a several meters long run.

Fortunately for him, Ari didn't make it.

Great blow shook the small oasis. Palm trees swayed heavily, several broke from such great force. Several birds that were about to get their well-deserved sleep took off, quacking and squeaking loudly. A lone horse in the stables neighed in horror, trying to break free.

Elven family's house took it hard. The roof, made from palm leaves, was torn away completely. All windows shattered, showering house interiors with glass fragments. All fragile pieces inside – vases, statues, dishes – were broken.

The cataclysm ended as fast as it started, with both bright objects disappearing in the night sky. Gushing winds, brought by the shockwave, settled; soon, heavy clouds hid both moons.

Elf mother, dazed by the blow, slowly regained her composure. She turned around – and froze in shock.

Her house, her beautiful little house was basically destroyed. There was no roof – palm leaves were scattered around, many of them broken; not a single window survived the strike. But what terrified her most was a little body that lied near the door.

'Ari!' she screamed in horror and ran to her son. Drowned in tears, the mother collapsed on her knees near him, unable to believe.

'Ari, you alright?! Please, answer me! Ariii!'

Clouds finally gave way, and heavy rain started. That helped: young Elf shuddered, coughed couple of times and finally opened his eyes.

'Mama!'

Relieved, mother hugged her beloved son tightly.

'Ari! Thank Gods you're alright!'

They just sat here, under the rain, hugging each other and crying. They didn't know that old beliefs about falling stars came true this night – and not only for two of them, but for their entire planet.

…

**Low Moon orbit, 28 December 1982**

Luna-25 was a true marvel of technology. Based on a successful Luna-24 design, it had one important addition. In contrast with all previous missions, which needed constant supervision from Flight Control Center back on Earth, Luna-25 was outfitted with advanced computer system which allowed a fully autonomous flight – from lift-off to landing. There was no communication system, even for emergency purposes: transmissions can be intercepted, and constructors were told to avoid that at all costs.

Another, equally important upgrade was a small explosive charge located inside third stage of its Proton-K rocket; when detonated in low Earth orbit, it would appear that third stage suffered malfunction and exploded – which, unfortunately, was a fairly common in case of Proton rockets. This system worked flawlessly four days ago; now, all space agencies and military commands over the world were sure that it was another failed Soviet space launch.

The sole reason for such secrecy was the surface sample that had been brought to Earth by Luna-25's predecessor. Some of its properties were at least unusual; and some were so mind-blowing that the whole sample was classified as one of Soviet Union's most guarded secrets. One gram from sample that was acquired on a previous mission was given to NASA in December 1976, labeled as Luna-24 sample, in order to fool Western agents.

Now, the 6-ton lander was orbiting the Moon at almost perfect circular orbit, looking for its designated landing site. Back at the Earth, scientists calculated that highest concentration of the unusual element found in Luna-24 sample would be in one of the far side craters – Tsiolkovskiy, in particular; lander's computer waited for the right moment to initiate landing procedures.

Two orbits later, time has come. By computer's command, reaction control system thrusters fired, adjusting spacecraft attitude; then, the main landing engine activated, and Luna-25 started its descend to the black bed of Tsiolkovskiy. At the same time, four stubby landing legs deployed from transport position.

Five minutes later, the lander flew at 200 meters above crater's rim. It was the time to correct attitude again, which was accomplished with another RCS fire. Then the main landing engine fired again, slowing down descent. Several light course corrections, one final burn – and Luna-25 touched down at the bed of Tsiolkovskiy, first man-made object that reached the far side of the Moon. Scientists all over the world would cheer now – if they knew; but goals of this mission were far from peaceful scientific exploration.

Moon dust that was raised by landing engine settled in several minutes after landing; immediately after that, computer gave command to unfold sample gathering device – a robotic arm with special drill that could bore up to 3 meters into the surface.

Drilling process was slow – constructors didn't want to speed it up, in fear of possible malfunctions. It took about 2 hours to reach designated depth; then, process of extraction started. The whole device was designed like vacuum cleaner – hollow drill crumbled soil into dust, which was then sucked into flexible hose and compacted. After that, hose was sealed, retrieved from the drill body and placed into sample return capsule.

The system worked flawlessly, and after the hose with its precious cargo was secured, return sequence was initiated. The whole lander functioned like Apollo Lunar Excursion Module – it was two-staged design, with landing stage left on the Moon. Explosive bolts were blown, and ascent engine fired; the upper stage took off and almost immediately banked right, aiming at its return trajectory. The only thing left that indicated of this secret visit was slightly burned descent stage.

Eighty-five hours later, at the very end of the New Year Eve, return capsule reached its home planet, Earth. After dropping its engines and fuel tanks, it re-entered atmosphere above Siberia. Three bright-red chutes opened at the height of 5000 meters, and the burned-up capsule finally landed into a deep Siberian snow bank. In mere hour, it was located and retrieved by soldiers in unmarked, all-white winter camouflage fatigues – members of one of KGB's secret units.

In the next week, any and all evidence of this mission was destroyed – documents, blueprints, video and audio tapes were shredded and burned. Aside from several high-ranking nuclear physicists and members of Politburo, no one was allowed to know about Luna-25 and its findings.

…

**Moscow, Russia, 10 years later**

With loud screech of brakes, black Volga stopped near the main entrance of Kurchatov Institute – main nuclear research center of Soviet Union, and now, Russia. Its sole passenger jumped out from the rear seat and scrambled to massive Soviet-style wooden doors.

'Please, state your business here' – one of armed FSK guards stand before man, ready to arrest him if necessary.

'Yes, yes, I have a meeting with Doctor Voloshin. Here is my pass card.' visitor answered. The guard took it and went to the booth – to run a check and make a record into visitor log. Check went fine – this particular visitor had the highest security clearance.

'Galvanov, Viktor Ivanovich, born 1958…' – the guard turned to look at visitor's face. He was a prime example of an ordinary man in his thirties – black hairs, brown eyes, oval face, and so on. The only striking feature was his short, accurately trimmed beard.

'Yes, yes, please, I'm in hurry!' Galvanov answered, irritated by the delay.

'You don't rush things inside nuclear lab, you idiot' guard thought. He was tempted to run an extended check on him – any unusual behavior around this place could be a base for it; but on the other side, he doubted that he could tolerate this man's company for two hours. He sighed and returned pass card to Galvanov.

'You may proceed.'

Galvanov just snatched his pass and darted to the elevators. His destination was the Chief Physicist's cabinet. Not paying attention to secretary, he opened double doors and burst inside.

'Konstantin Vitalyevich, I don't understand! How could you just close my project?' Galvanov shouted. 'It's basically the most important…'

'Victor Ivanovich, please, calm down' Voloshin answered. He was an elderly man in his seventies, and during his long career in nuclear physics, he witnessed many such cases. 'I had no voice in that; the decision to shut down Project 25 came from the top'.

'Top? That bulky alcoholic who these democrats call president? This is preposterous! We worked on this project for almost ten years…'

'…And without any solid results. You know of our economic situation – we can't just spend millions like in old times' Voloshin interrupted him. 'Viktor, this project always was too far-fetched. All you asked for were more funds and more equipment – and you didn't offer anything in return'.

'But what about plasma formation? We were able to make fire – fire! – basically from nothing! No combustible material, no heat, it just appeared!' Galvanov countered. Indeed, that was his top achievement. One day, he tried to use small amounts of focused alpha radiation on a sample, applying electrical current at the same time; next second after that, a fireball flew off the probe's end. That was an unfortunate day for the technical staff – as it turned out, spectrometers isn't designed to withstand direct fireball hits.

'And it took an entire five years to achieve that – and nothing was achieved before or since. Viktor, we are one of the prime nuclear physicists in the world, not would-be fire casters. I'm sorry, but Project 25 is no more'.

Galvanov just silently stared into his eyes, then turned on his heels and left. Voloshin sighed; he hated to do that to young scientist, but order is an order. Now, Project 25 lab will be shut down, its equipment distributed to other labs, and Viktor himself would be transferred to other projects.

But one thing that Voloshin would never forget was Galvanov's final stare. There was no sign of defeat in his eyes; just rage – and determination. Determination not unlike that of a madman. Determination to achieve the goals of Project 25 – no matter the cost.

…

Enraged Galvanov climbed into back seat of his Volga. How could they? Project 25, his pride, his life, his beloved child – was killed by some "fresh minds" in the new Russian government. Almost ten years of work just went into garbage bin.

'Back to the lab' he said and gestured to his driver; young man complied, and soon heavy Soviet saloon was on its way through busy Moscow streets.

Galvanov thought about his past. In late winter of 1983, he received an order to arrive to Lubyanka – KGB headquarters, place synonymous to Hell for many Soviet citizens. There, he received another order from no one other but Yuri Andropov – assume control over a new lab near Moscow, and try to solve mysteries of some strange substance. By the summer, he deduced that it could be only of extraterrestrial origins; when he countered Andropov about this, General Secretary recommended him to keep his mouth shut and continue work.

Next years were filled with trials and errors. They were able to produce small fireballs; once, they managed to create small ice shard. Two years ago, accident happened – Galvanov and his assistant applied electrical current and some heat to the sample; it just flashed – but his assistant couldn't remember what he was doing during that day. It was like his memory was erased by some magic!

Now all of it was dead, destroyed, struck from history.

'Or maybe not', Galvanov thought and chuckled. After all, newly-emerged democratic Russia was a country of many possibilities – government-approved or not.

…

**Tokyo, Japan, three months ago**

It was an ordinary Japanese home, located in one of many suburbs of Tokyo. Young dark-haired man, dressed in jeans and a blue jacket, stood before the fence, trying to decide what to do next.

'Louise, are you sure?' he asked his female companion – small slender girl with long pink hairs, in a uniform resembling that of some private boarding school.

'For the fifth time, Saito - yes, I am. Now push that damn button!' she answered.

'Well, here it goes.' he sighed and reached for the doorbell.

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_First of all, hi and thanks for reading! Comments and reviews are appreciated._

_Second, I'd like to give some info about this story. It's based on ZnT anime, and anime alone, so don't expect characters from the novels. Also, it's a "continuation" story, which means that it set after Louise and Saito's wedding. I don't know about the length yet, but I don't plan a full epic._

_There will be a bunch of OCs, mostly from our world (you already know one of them). I really suck at appearance description, though, so I'll just make some references later on. _

_Some characters from anime won't make it into this story, or their roles will be pretty short. Namely Tiffania – I just can't place her here; besides, I never liked her._

_Third, technology and weapons will be powerful. I mean, magic is cool, but Louise can't save the day just by blowing anything with her mini-nuke spell in this story – that would be anti-climactic at least. So stay tuned for some action._

_And last, but not least: favorite if you like it!_


	2. Chapter 1 - New Life, New Challenges

**CHAPTER 1 – NEW LIFE, NEW CHALLENGES**

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan, present days**

'Now, please, turn right at the next intersection.' driving instructor, old and bulky man with balding head, said.

The student behind the wheel, a young black-haired man in blue-white sport jacket, obeyed and steered old white Toyota in direction specified by his teacher.

'Good maneuver, partner! Carry on, and you'll get that "license" of yours in no time!' – a metallic voice sounded in his head.

'Thanks, Derf, now be quiet and let me drive!'

With that thought, Hiraga Saito resumed his final practice exam for driving license.

Driving his own car was Saito's long dream. Go anywhere, anytime – for him that meant adult's freedom. Of course, he was a married man now, and it was probably time to think about more earthly things, like job or house… but can you think about these when you're 18 years old?

Next obstacle: pedestrian crossing. Some kids were about to use it; Saito stopped the car to let them pass. Driving instructor nodded in approval and made a note in his scoreboard.

Several minutes later, the road course was over; all what was left is the parking course. 'Now that would be difficult', thought Saito. He practiced heavily with his mother's tiny kei car; but doing the same with an ex-taxi highway cruiser would be a challenge, to say the least.

Okay, primary objective: reverse parallel parking. Thank God that previous owners of this Toyota decided to install a parking helper, it will surely come in handy.

First step: look at the mirrors to ensure safety; since this was a purpose-built road course, there weren't many other cars – just two other students. First step: check!

Second step: gearbox in reverse. Old car shuddered lightly; Saito released brakes, and it started to moving back.

Third step: accurately steer the car in its place, and try your best to not scratch another white Toyota that parked nearby. Not that it would do any damage (after all, it was a taxi in its previous life – and if it survived that, it will probably survive anything, even his wife's bad mood), but it will surely thwart his exam.

Last glance in the mirror, minor course correction, gently brake to a full stop, gearbox in parking mode, and…

'Congratulations, Mr. Hiraga, you passed the exam.'

'Hell yes!' Saito almost shouted.

Now, pay a fee for his license, convince mother to lend him her car, grab Louise, and – Japan, here we come!

…

**Hiraga Residence**

Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere de Hiraga, Duchess de Ornielle, Crown Princess of Tristain was on the verge of being usual self – which meant blowing up something.

The main cause of her foul mood stood on a kitchen table – a small bowl that currently held two cups of wheat flour, two fresh chicken eggs and a glass of milk. In theory, it would be a nice pancake batter; in practice, though, it was something completely different. "Mystery goo" was probably the most accurate and polite description of a substance that Louise managed to mix.

'I should've paid more attention to Potion-making classes back in the Academy', thought young mage. She then took the kitchen spoon, scooped some of the "goo" and poured it onto the frying pan that stood on the stove.

Now all that mattered was attention. Pancake must be flipped only at the exact time; if you do it too early, it will not be strong enough to maintain shape; and if you do it too late, it will simply burn down.

One minute passed, time to act. Louise used a spatula to lift one side, now to flip it… and her first attempt to fry a pancake curled into slightly burned lump of batter and oil.

'Bon appetite, trash can.' Pink-haired noble cook sighed and poured another portion of batter.

She decided to wait. Obviously, she flipped too early; this time, everything will be as it should and she will cook a thin, sweet pancake with crispy edges.

This time, it was at least thin – so thin that it just shattered when Louise tried to flip it.

Several more attempts later, the Hiraga kitchen looked like a war zone. Another burned up lump lied in the bowl (attempt #3: failed – too much batter). Smoke was coming from the trash can (attempt #4: failed – you shouldn't dream of your beloved husband for too long). Frying pan housed another set of embers, some of them still red (attempt #5: it was a really bad idea to blame your beloved husband for attempt #4's demise).

Since there were no more "batter", Louise turned off the stove and went to the main room to relax before next round.

'I never will make it right, Manami-san!' She said wearily as she sat on the couch.

'Well, well, my dear. Few girls managed to master pancakes on their first try; I personally burned two pans before I got it right!' Hiraga Manami, tall brown-haired woman in her late forties, smiled, trying to reassure her daughter-in-law. 'And for some good batter, don't forget to add baking powder – otherwise, it would look like something conceived by little green men from another planet'.

'Founder, please, grant me a spell to make delicious pancakes!' Louise sighed heavily and went back to kitchen.

'Why, my dear, there is such spell!' Manami answered with a laugh. 'It's called "patience".'

…

**INTERPOL Tokyo, National Police Agency headquarters**

Superintendent Hiraga Takeshi was sitting at his desk inside NPA HQ, sipping fresh black coffee and thinking. Four months ago, his only son, Saito, miraculously appeared before their door after being missing for almost two years – and not alone, but with a beautiful young girl called Louise. Moreover, it turned that his son and this girl were a couple – a married couple.

And what a wonderful and unbelievable story they told! Noble mage knights, flying ships, fire-breathing dragons – it sounded like a fairy tale until Louise decided to prove that she was indeed a magic user. Saito pointed out that most of her spells resulted in a various explosions ranging from petard to tactical nuke; next thing they knew is that she had an equally explosive temper. Well, they wanted to replace that old couch anyway.

'Hello, Hiraga-san!' young black-haired man in police uniform, who just entered the room, greeted his boss. He held a tightly rolled piece of fax paper in one hand.

'Hi, Keiji! How are you today?' Takeshi warmly welcomed his assistant, Lieutenant Nakamura Keiji. He grew fond of young officer – and not only for his aspiration to become a good policeman. During Saito's absence, Keiji gradually became closer and closer to him and his wife; he was almost like a son to them.

'As always, Hiraga-san, I'm buried in paperwork! Speaking of which, this was sent to us this morning. Looks like our border guards messed up again.' Lieutenant said as he gave fax to Takeshi.

'And who do we have here? Kim Juong Wok, nationality: Democratic People Republic of Korea, wanted in seventeen countries for illegal possession of assault weapons and military-grade explosives, participation in organized crime activities, eight cases of abduction and fifty seven cases of first-degree murder.' Superintendent read it out loudly. 'What a lovely guy. Hell, if these so-called "police officers" at the airports won't start taking their duties seriously, half of all terrorists in the world will roam our lands at their pleasure!'

'He doesn't look like a simple terrorist to me, Hiraga-san. More like experienced mercenary.'

'Yes, and that worries me. People like him would feel themselves at home in the middle of Latin American drug wars, or fighting against some rebels in Africa. But why Japan?'

The phone on Takeshi's desk ringed loudly.

'Yes?.. Saito, hi! How are you?.. Congrats, son!'

'It's Saito? What about his driving exam?' – Keiji asked his boss. Takeshi raised his thumb and smiled in joy.

'Alright son, see you later! Goodbye!' – Takeshi put the phone down and turned to his assistant. 'Hey, Keiji, looks like we'll be celebrating today! Wanna come? Saito's wife will do the cooking'

'Yes, Hiraga-san! Thank you for inviting me!'

'Obviously you never had to try Louise's delicacies', thought Superintendent, slightly envious.

...

**Kamchatka peninsula, Russia**

Kamchatka, one of the most remote regions of Russia, is known for its beautiful and dangerous landscape. There are more than hundred and half volcanoes, many of them are still active and erupt regularly; earthquakes and landslides are common. Aside from the main city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, and several little settlements, the peninsula is uninhabited due to its remoteness and harsh climate.

If someone took a helicopter and flew above the western shore, he could get sight of several apparently deserted huts – a fishing village, abandoned for thirty years. If he tried to get close, he could notice that one of the huts sported a concealed satellite uplink antenna; and if he decided to land, he would be quickly apprehended by military-looking men armed with modern weapons.

More wonders lied underground. The barn in the village center acted as a cover for a massive elevator, wide enough for an airplane; it led into several underground levels that were built in the old lava caves and stretched for almost half a mile. They housed a vast range of scientific and military hardware – there was even a nuclear reactor, removed from decommissioned submarine.

This secret base was built in 1972 as a defense post, and was abandoned several years later due to unstable foundation – several soldiers perished during the cave-in. The base was erased from all registers and forgotten – until 1993, when one man who wished to vanish from the known world secretly reactivated and rebuilt it to suit his needs.

Now, the said man stood by small viewing window in the conference room located at the very heart of the base, watching his home. He gently stroked his short beard and started the briefing.

'As you may know, four months ago our satellite detected a distinct magic signature. It occurred right before full eclipse; three weeks later, the same signature was detected again. Both of them came from Tokyo. The satellite also detected that something – or someone – went through eclipse to the other side.'

He coughed and turned to a cloaked woman who stood in the dark corner.

'Have you verified the source?'

'Yes. It's a young mage girl named Louise Valliere, native of Halkeginia, and her familiar, Hiraga Saito, native of Japan. It seems that they arrived into our world through the portal created by girl.'

The man turned from the window and sat down in a big leather chair.

'Interesting. If I recall your early reports correctly, this spell is called World Door, right?'

Woman nodded.

'Yes, and it is a part of her Void Magic. Actually, it's one of the very few spells that she can perform – she is absolute zero in all traditional elements.'

'A Void Magic… This is definitely worth an in-depth study. And what about this Japanese boy, is he going to be a problem?'

'Hiraga Saito, current age 18. Was summoned to Halkeginia by Valliere as her familiar around two years ago; there is an energy signature of this event in the archives. He's a Gandalfr, Master of Arms – he can use any weapon, even sophisticated machines like fighter jets.'

The man thought for a second, then turned his chair to face his security chief, a middle-aged man in desert-colored military fatigues and crimson beret with distinctive emblem on it.

'Hendrik, I want you to dispatch a team and capture them both. Not our men – I'll make a call and get you some guys that'll blend in with the locals. And absolutely no shooting, beating or other favorite behavior of yours – I need them in good health, understood?'

'Yes, sir.' Security chief stood up and left the room to make preparations; woman soon followed suit.

After they left, their boss reached for his phone – an old-style Soviet apparatus that sat on his desk. It was time to make a call to a certain Dear Leader and cash in some favor.

…

After a short talk, Viktor Galvanov put phone down and smiled thinly. His beloved Project 25, renamed Project Warlock several years ago, was about to get some fresh boost.

…

**Fuji Five Lakes, six days later**

The young pair decided to choose Mount Fuji, the world-famous symbol of Japan, as their first travel destination. Manami was absolutely happy to lend them her silver Mitsubishi kei car – as Saito recalled, she murmured something about a "long-needed peace in my kitchen" while giving him the keys. At the morning of a sunny Sunday, they packed a picnic basket and hit the road. Saito felt himself like home behind Mitsubishi's wheel; he was happy to answer his wife's myriad questions about the car, as this was her first ride ever.

Two hours of driving later, they arrived at their destination, a picnic place right at the foot of the Fuji.

Louise was struck by the pristine beauty of Japanese nature. Sure, Halkeginia had its own sights like Lake Lagdorian, but they just faded in comparison to this. Saito was also astonished – he never thought that his country was home to such great place, and it was so close to Tokyo!

Finally, they decided to take a boat ride on the Lake Kawaguchi, the largest of Fuji Lakes. Saito rowed, while Louise watched at the magnificent mountain and its white slopes with awe.

'Hey, Louise, remember our moment at your family mansion?' Saito asked his wife.

'Y-yes…'

'Then how about to recreate it?'

'S-S-Saito…'

…

It was almost evening, so they decided to return the boat to its owner and head home. As Saito rowed back to the shore, he realized that Louise became unusually quiet; she just sat at the bow, looking into water.

'Louise, what's wrong? You look upset'

'I… miss them' – Louise answered in a sad voice. 'My family, Princess, our friends… damn, I miss even that lustful maid!'

'You're homesick' –Saito told her and smiled. He gently embraced his young wife and placed her in his lap. 'Why didn't you tell me about it earlier?'

'Saito, you fool, I… I… did not want to upset you!' She buried her face into her husband's chest. 'You were so happy to get back home, to meet your parents… I did not want to ruin all that!'

Saito sighed and kissed her in the forehead. As always, his little Louise kept her feelings in itself for too long.

'I tell you what: how about we pay them a visit? Let's say, tomorrow?'

Her eyes immediately flashed with joy.

'B-but… would it be all right with your parents?'

'Of course, my love! You know, we may even invite them to spend some time at De Ornielles.'

…

Several minutes later they were at their way home. Saito turned on a narrow road which led to the road junction and prepared for a rather long trip; Louise was completely absorbed by the list of gifts that she wanted to get for their friends.

Soon, Saito noticed something ahead. Two police officers stood at the edge of the road; what appeared to be their vehicles – two black SUVs with tinted windows – were nearby, with their diesel engines running. Saito, a long-time automobile fan, immediately recognized Toyota Mega Cruisers – "the Japanese Humvees", heavy-duty off-road personnel carriers that were used by army and some police units. Strange, but he never heard about their undercover use.

One of the officers waved a red sign towards Saito's Mitsubishi, asking him to pull over. He complied and rolled down his side window.

'Be on your guard, partner, I don't like these guys!'

'Yeah, Derf, me too. There is something fishy about them.'

One of the policemen approached him; the other stood beside passenger door.

'Good day, officer. Is something wrong?' – Saito asked.

'Lieutenant Wanabe Takeo, 2nd Squad of Yakamura Police Department. Sorry to bother you, but there was a shooting accident nearby; could you and your companion follow us to our car to confirm your identities?'

'Um… Sure, just let me grab our papers' – Saito answered and stretched out his hand to reach glovebox. He turned to Louise and asked in a low voice:

'Your seatbelt – is it still on?'

Louise was clearly confused both by his question and voice.

'Y-yes, why do you ask…'

'Good, now hold on!'

With these words, Saito slammed on gas pedal. Little kei car rushed forward, its engine whining in protest. Immediately, Mega Cruisers roared their diesels and gave chase; one of them stopped briefly to collect both officers.

'What are you doing, you stupid dog? You refused to comply with an order from the policeman – they will send us in jail!' Louise screamed angrily.

'Louise, they're not police!'

'What? How can you be so sure?'

'First, they're not Japanese…'

'They surely do look Japanese to me!'

'No, they're not. Many outsiders can't distinguish Japanese men from Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese, but Japanese can easily tell the difference. They're most likely Koreans'

'And the second?'

'There is no Yakamura Police Department in Japan.'

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_First chapter is up! _

_PS: To anyone who got that reference: happy flying!_


	3. Chapter 2 - The Mountain Chase

**CHAPTER 2 – THE MOUNTAIN CHASE**

* * *

The little Mitsubishi with two scared youngsters inside raced along the narrow winding road, trying to escape from two pitch-black SUVs that were in pursuit. Saito never driven so fast; it was like a racing game on Playstation console, only in this race second place was not an option. Louise curled up in her seat, trembling with fear; it was for the first time since she left Halkeginia she was in a real danger.

'Where's your wand?'

'Have you forgotten? It was you who asked me to leave it at home!'

'Well, shit. If I ever ask you to do that again, remind me about these guys, alright?'

One of pursuers tried to overtake them on the oncoming lane; Saito swung sharply to the right, parrying the maneuver. Mega Cruiser swerved, trying to avoid collision, and went to the roadside, raising a cloud of dust.

'Give a warning next time, you idiot! I hit my head!' Louise angrily screamed, rubbing the bump on her forehead. She then tried to hit her husband in the same spot.

'Stop it! If you don't let me drive, there won't be…'

Second Toyota caught up on the left and bumped Mitsubishi, trying to force it to the middle of the road; first Mega Cruiser, having recovered from its earlier failure, was ready to join on the right in a new effort to stop them. Ignoring Louise and her complaints about his driving style, Saito straightened the car and slammed on the brakes.

With a deafening screech of metal, Mitsubishi broke free from SUV; the latter wasn't maneuverable enough to evade its sibling, and two Mega Cruisers collided sideways, dispersing plastic debris and glass shards over the road. One Toyota went off to the left, knocking down several road signs; the other slowed down in order to avoid collision with a big rock on the other side of the road.

'…the next time!' Saito finished his answer and took a quick glance toward passenger seat. Louise sat with hands clenching to the door handle so hard that her little knuckles went white, eyes wide open, filled with terror.

He stepped on gas, trying to take advantage, and glanced in the mirror; Mega Cruisers, already recovered from the crash, were in pursuit again.

'Any ideas, partner? These things would smash us in no time if we don't think of something!' Derf's voice rattled in Saito's head.

'I don't know! If only we had something to throw at them… wait a second!'

Saito voiced the last words; Louise looked at him in puzzlement.

'What did you just say?'

'Louise, grab the picnic basket!'

Her eyes went wide.

'W-w-w-what?'

'Don't ask, just do it!'

Their basket was lying on the floor behind driver seat; various picnic things clattered inside, half of it already broken. Louise reached for the handle and placed the basket in her lap.

The sun sank lower, and the road began to fill with cars - tourists, campers and couples who went to the sacred mountain on this beautiful Sunday and now were on their way back. It only complicated their situation – now there was almost no place for maneuvering; even worse, they could harm innocent people.

Two Mega Cruisers close the gap quickly and were ready to mount another attack. Saito pressed the passenger window button to lower it; cool mountain breeze filled the car.

'Saito, what are you doing?'

'Pull the basket outside and hold it!'

'What? Why?'

The Toyotas rode side by side just behind them, occupying two thirds of the entire road; oncoming cars honked angrily and flashed their headlights at them.

'Trust me!'

Louise pulled the basket out of the window, struggling not to drop it.

'When I give a signal, release the basket!'

Leading SUV was already in a couple of meters from Mitsubishi's rear bumper. Saito slightly turned the wheel, and kei car came closer to the roadside; the Toyota was now at the rear-left of them.

'NOW!'

Louise opened her hands, and the picnic basket fell on the road. It bounced off…

'Come on, come on…'

…and hit the first Mega Cruiser right in the middle of its radiator grille.

All stuff inside – dishes, cups, bottles – scattered around. Toyota's front bumper split in two, its grille tore away, exposing radiator. Bottle of lemonade smashed into windshield, followed by some leftovers; now completely blinded, heavy SUV swerved from side to side, smashed through the low fence that was erected around the road, and disappeared from view.

'Bullseye! I love you, my little pink marksman!' Saito exclaimed. His wife blushed from the unusual compliment.

…

Stricken by Louise's improvised projectile, Mega Cruiser rolled down the slope, its driver trying to stop the heavy vehicle. The car knocked off several small trees, jumped on a small nature-made trampoline and finally skidded to full stop.

'These kids got some teeth, I give them that.' Kim Juong Wok, who sat in the front passenger seat, said. 'Fuck Kruger and his orders; we'll do it our way.'

He reached for his Minebea M-9 – a Japanese-made submachine gun; they bought several of these compact weapons from their contact in the Tokyo docks. Then, he activated his walkie-talkie.

'Kang, you may open fire. We'll catch up with you shortly.'

…

Saito threw a look at the mirror. The second SUV was still there, but it stopped trying to hit Mitsubishi – it just kept a few meters away from them.

'Just a couple kilometers left until we reach the highway – they won't have a chance to catch us there' he told Louise. His wife sighed with a relief.

'I hope so…'

With a loud clang, left side mirror flew off.

'KYAAAH!'

One of Mega Cruiser's passengers leaned out of his window with small machine gun in his hands. He took aim and shot again.

'Louise, get down!'

Bullets rattled on the trunk lid; rear window shattered into tiny fragments. One round glanced off passenger seat and buried itself into the front panel.

'Saito, do something!'

'I can't!'

Another burst, this time aimed at the Mitsubishi's engine. Luckily for Saito and Louise, M-9s weren't equipped with stocks; shooting it from a moving car required some serious skills, which Korean gunman hadn't. He misjudged his aim – bullets tore through front bumper and headlights, but one lucky slug hit the radiator. Faint white smoke went from under the hood, and the temperature gauge started to move up.

Only one kilometer separated them from the highway; right in the middle of this little section was a railway crossing. It was rarely used – but to Saito's horror, warning lights flashed brightly, and twin barriers started to go down, stopping all traffic. Several cars stopped before crossing, blocking the way. Mere seconds was remaining until small cargo train – old diesel locomotive with twenty or so boxcars in tow – blocks the road, putting an end to the pursuit.

Saito threw damaged Mitsubishi to the right and drove to the oncoming lane, now empty; Mega Cruiser followed suit. Muzzle flashes lit up the dark twilight – gunmen inside resumed shooting, not wanting to give their target even a slight chance to escape. Some bullets went wide, hitting awaiting cars; their occupants screamed in horror and tried to do their best to get off the line of fire. The Mitsubishi also took several more hits. Rear lamps were shattered; couple of bullets went through the windshield, which was now covered with a web of cracks.

The temperature gauge was now in the hot; little engine whined in protest. There was no more white smoke – which meant that there was no more coolant in the system.

'Please, just several meters more!' Saito pleaded.

The overheated engine screamed in pain, pushing the little car forward; the Mitsubishi smashed through the barriers, jumped on rails – and cleared the crossing, barely evading the train.

Their enemies weren't so lucky. Mega Cruiser's driver, completely absorbed by the pursuit, failed to notice incoming hazard and went to the crossing right before the train.

With a terrible crash, two vehicles collided. The locomotive struck SUV right in the middle and basically tore it in half like paper. Its passengers died without even realizing what hit them. Fumes from crushed fuel tank ignited, engulfing the rumpled nose of the locomotive and scattered remains of Toyota.

…

Saito struggled, trying to at least get to the highway, but it was to no avail. The little brave Mitsubishi slowed to a crawl, jerked several times and finally stopped, its engine dead.

'What we will do now?' Louise asked, nearly crying.

'There's a gas station nearby – see that sign with prices? They must have the phone! We'll call my parents and the police!' Saito answered, getting out of the car.

They ran towards the bright neon sign that marked their destination.

…

Old Nissan Cedric police car stood beside small gas station, its sole occupant ready for a little dinner. This Sunday, Nakamura Keiji was assigned to a small Interpol team that went to investigate report of a possible sighting of Kim Juong Wok, the same man who went through border guards a week ago. Since then, there were several more interesting reports – one was from police contact in Tokyo docks, who told them of an arms deal involving some Korean-looking men, and the other was from used cars dealer who reported two Toyota Mega Cruiser SUVs stolen. But for now, all what mattered to young cop was delicious sandwich.

Keiji took a big bite from his sandwich and suddenly heard a distant explosion. He turned his head and saw a column of thick black smoke that went over the nearby railroad crossing. Fearing the worst, he put down his dinner and reached for the radio, intending to call for reinforcements. Next second, he noticed two small figures that were running toward his car.

'Keiji!' Saito shouted, having recognized his father's assistant and best friend, as they ran to Nissan.

'Saito? Louise? What are you doing here?' Keiji was genuinely puzzled by the sight. The young couple stood before him, panting heavily.

'No time to expla… Get down!'

Kim's Mega Cruiser, having finally caught up with its target, crashed through the fence, with its occupants sending hailstorm of lead at their prey. Bullets showered Keiji's police cruiser, shattering its windows, poking holes in doors and puncturing tires. One lucky shot hit the fuse box, activating the siren; its howling sounds filled the air, dying several seconds later when another stray shot smashed through the battery. The trio ducked behind the car, trying their best to stay out of the harm's way.

Keiji reached for his service Beretta, peered out from behind the car and returned fire, sending several rounds into Mega Cruiser. His shooting range hours paid out well – he heard a short scream, and shooting stopped; remaining Koreans took cover behind their SUV.

'Come on, I've seen someone stopped to refuel couple of minutes ago; we'll take his car, police emergency!' Keiji whispered to the couple.

The trio ran around the corner… and froze.

What they saw was maybe the most unexpected thing to be found on Japanese roads. Long, orange-colored coupe stood before them; two silver stripes ran through its entire length.

'This… this is what I think it is?' Saito asked in amazement.

'Yes… Yes it is' Keiji answered, with his lips in a wild grin.

They both spotted two plaques on car's small rectangular grille. One read "CHALLENGER", indicating that it was the latest generation of famous American-made Dodge muscle car; the other spelled "SRT" – which meant that it was fitted with powerful 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine.

'Feel playing some GTA, Keiji?'

'Can't think of a reason not to!'

They quickly ran to the Challenger. The nozzle was inserted into the fuel tank; there was nobody inside or around the car.

'I'm driving!' Keiji rushed to the driver's door.

'Shotgun!' Saito went to the left side of the muscle car, with Louise in tow.

'Saito, what is a GTA?' she asked in confusion.

'It's kinda like things we're doing now, get in!' He opened the door, hastily pushed his wife to the back seat... and stopped for a second: before him was the steering wheel.

'Damn imported cars! No time to swap seats, so less slacking, more driving!' – Keiji's voice brought him out of stupor.

Saito got behind the large wheel and reached for the ignition key; it sat in its lock – apparently, Dodge's owner was brave enough not to trust local traffic police bulletins about cars being stolen from gas stations. The starter struggled, trying to crank massive engine, and after three long seconds the Hemi V8 rocked the neighborhood with its victorious growl.

'Hey, get the fuck out from my car, you damn punks!' young man, who just came out from gas station, screamed.

Two Koreans ran out from behind a corner, their M-9s searching for targets. They quickly spotted Challenger and its occupants.

'We are requisitioning this vehicle by police authority!' Keiji shouted to the furious muscle car fan.

The Koreans opened fire, sending a spray of bullets in their direction. The Dodge's owner cried in horror and ran back to the gas station.

'You will be compensated for any damage!' Saito added with a sly grin and, without any hesitation, floored the gas pedal.

The mighty Hemi answered his new master with deafening roar. Rear wheels spun, leaving smoking trails of burned rubber behind; in a wide drift, the Challenger basically flew onto the highway. The car was amid process of refueling, and dispenser still pumped last liters of fuel into its tank; nozzle just tore off from it like made from paper, pouring gas all over the station.

…

Kim and his two remaining accomplices raced back to their Mega Cruiser. The bulky SUV obviously couldn't catch up with the muscle car, so equally fast vehicles were needed. Kim got behind the wheel; two others opened the rear compartment door. Inside, were two sleek black sportbikes – Suzuki Hayabusas, one of the fastest bikes in the world.

They quickly set up the unloading ramp, mounted their bikes and resumed pursuit. The SUV, with its sole occupant behind the wheel, took off in the same direction.

…

Saito never dreamed that someday he will be able to drive such beautiful car. He glanced at his wife; even Louise was amazed by the wild charisma of a modern remake of a classic American muscle car. Being a privately imported car, the Dodge hadn't speed limiter installed; it could easily outrun almost any pursuer.

'Well, if they don't have a second Challenger in their pockets, I seriously doubt that they will be able to catch us now!' Keiji said.

Moment later, two bullets hit Dodge's right side with a loud clang, chipping the orange paint.

'You just had to say that!' Louise shouted, cowering on the floor.

The remaining Koreans changed their tactic – instead of 'pray and spray', they switched their M-9s to single fire and were now trying to blow off Dodge's tires with precise shots. Besides, they had to conserve ammunition – there was no way to reload while driving the sportbike.

Saito threw the Dodge between lanes, barely squeezing through the narrow gap between large semi-trailer truck and blue Mazda minibus. Challenger's strength was in its speed; but the all-powerful muscle car turned into helpless kitten when it came to maneuvering.

One of Hayabusas whirled around the truck, its rider shooting at the muscle car; Keiji leaned out of the window and returned fire with his Beretta. The pistol barked several times – and its slide locked back, indicating that the magazine was empty.

'Shit, I'm empty! Reloading!'

Having noticed that, the Korean rider concentrated his fire on the passenger door. One of the bullets hit the front pillar, forcing Keiji to duck; the second shattered rearview mirror, showering the road with bits of glass and plastic.

'Damn! Go between the cars, try to confuse him!' young cop shouted as he tried to insert spare magazine into his pistol.

Saito swung the wheel, sending the Challenger to the left and cutting the blue Mazda; angry honks filled the evening air. The Hayabusa rider, not wishing to crash into the minibus, went right, momentarily losing the sight of his prey.

This couple of seconds was all what Keiji needed. As the Korean reappeared, with his M-9 trained at the Dodge and ready to fire, Keiji took aim and squeezed the trigger.

First shot went wide, but second bullet found its target, hitting the gunman in the left shoulder.

Having lost his driving hand, the Korean let go of his M-9 and tried to grab the handlebar, but it was too late. The Hayabusa veered right, hit the crash barrier and bounced off – right into the semi-trailer's way. The sportbike and its rider just vanished under the big wheels, crushed like a bug.

Meanwhile, the second bike approached from the left side, safe from Keiji's bullets. Engrossed by driving, Saito failed to notice him.

Louise, who watched the entire scene in horror, knew that she had to do something. She frantically searched the back seat for anything that could be used as a weapon.

Something at the left caught Saito's eye; he turned his head – and stared right into M-9's barrel, aiming at his forehead.

'DON'T YOU DARE TO TOUCH MY HUSBAND, YOU DIRTY BASTARD!'

Screaming like mad banshee, his wife shoved him aside and threw an empty beer bottle at the Korean.

It hit him right into the forehead. The stunned rider dropped his gun and gripped Hayabusa's handlebars, trying to level off his bike. He didn't notice a small pile of trash bags that were lying on the roadside, waiting for the pickup by cleaning crews; the bike ran right into it, rolled over and fell off the side of the highway.

'Wow. Didn't knew that your wife is a first-class pitcher' Keiji said, astonished by Louise's throw.

'That's my girl!' Saito answered with hint of pride. 'Although, I learned of that skill of her in a hard way…'

'What was that, my dear husband?'

'N-n-nothing!'

'Okay, folks, here is the plan.' Keiji said, and turned left to face Saito. 'Drive home as fast as you can – let's tell it all to Hiraga-san first. Louise, stay on the floor, just in case – there may be more of them. Any questions?'

'Um… I have a question. What is a "punk" that owner of this car mentioned?' Louise asked.

'Boys and girls who wear wild hair colors, talk in profanities and think that they're fighting against the system.' Keiji told her with a wily smirk.

She twisted a strand of her pink hairs and gave him a puzzled look.

'Huh?'

…

The Mega Cruiser stood at the small unlit parking lot at the outskirts of Tokyo; Kim walked around nervously, sucking a third sigarette in a row. This was the place where exchange had to be held: the teen couple for final part of their payment. Several minutes ago, he placed a call; now, his employer was about to meet him, and this meeting did not promised Kim anything good.

Suddenly, he heard a loud thumping; bright light shined overhead, and small helicopter landed near him; there were only two men inside. The passenger jumped out and approached the Korean.

'Kim, you little Commie asshole, what the fuck did you did there? Car chases, shoot-outs, explosions! Which part of "Make it quiet" you don't understand?'

'Kruger, these god-damned teenagers attacked us, we had to defend ourselves! And they killed all of my men and nearly killed me!' Kim shouted. 'And don't you dare to talk to me like that!'

'Are you finished?' Hendrik Kruger asked with exasperation.

'I…'

'Good.'

In a flash, he drew his pistol, put it to Kim's chest and pressed the trigger. The Korean flinched and collapsed, his heart pierced by the bullet.

'As they say – if you want something done well, do it yourself!' Kruger grumbled and climbed back into helicopter. 'Fly to the city. Let's catch the beast in his lair.'

…

The Challenger waded through the narrow streets that led to the Hiraga residence. It was already dark, and Saito turned on its quad headlights. There was no one near the residence; the road was also empty, in exception of white Fuso van with furniture advertisements on its sides that stood at the opposite side.

There was a light in the living room window, indicating that Hiragas were still awake, waiting for their son; being the deputy head in Japanese branch of the Interpol, Takeshi probably already knew about all the commotion around Mount Fuji.

The Dodge stopped on the driveway, and the trio went inside.

'Dad! Where are you?' Saito shouted. There was no answer; he opened door to living room and froze in horror.

His parents were lying at the couch, their arms and legs tied, heads covered with sacks. Two men stood beside them, with silenced pistols in their hands. Saito heard Keiji yelping in surprise, then a single thump, followed by the sound of a falling body. Louise tried to scream; Saito turned around to see a middle-aged man in black clothes, his wife limp in his grip.

Someone grabbed his neck from behind and pressed a damp cloth over his mouth. Next moment, the world went dark.

…

Hendrik Kruger carefully put the pink-haired girl on the couch beside her parents-in-law. He was surprised by the effectiveness of this new sleep-inducing solution, presented to him by Galvanov's mysterious female assistant. She assured him that it will knock down anyone for twenty-four hours; having seen it in action now, Kruger was inclined to believe.

He turned to his subordinates.

'Alright, gentlemen, let's round it up. Bring them to the van.'

'All of them, boss?'

'Yeah, all five. I've got some questions for that Interpol cop and his little helper.'

Several minutes later, the furniture van slowly pulled away from Hiraga residence, turned to the main street and disappeared in the evening traffic.

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_What could be better than a good, old-fashioned car chase?_

_Two technical things:_

_The Mitsubishi here is a Mitsubishi i kei car. Yes, the car is called "i". I was fed up by Word's desire to correct it, so it's just Mitsubishi. What dimwit came up with this name?_

_Japan is a right-hand drive country, so I wrote with this fact in mind._


	4. Chapter 3 - The Lion's Den

**CHAPTER 3 – THE LION'S DEN**

* * *

The pilot activated his radio set and looked out of his window at an abandoned fishing village sitting on the ground. 'Come in Magic Castle, this is White Dragon, over.'

The airplane – all-white Altair amphibian – circled around, waiting for permission to land. It took off from sea west of Tokyo, just outside Japan's territorial waters; here, it collected nine people from a small rusty fishing boat. After a three-hour flight around Northern Japan and through the Kuriles, it finally arrived at its destination at the shores of Western Kamchatka.

'White Dragon, this is Magic Castle, we hear you loud and clear, over.'

'Magic Castle, this is White Dragon, requesting to land at D-354, over.'

'White Dragon, this is Magic Castle, we confirm D-354, and you are cleared to land, over'

The pilot throttled down two large turbofans, and Altair started to lose its speed; he then leveled the plane and started to descent. In a large cloud of water spray, the amphibian landed and taxied to the small jetty near the village.

A welcoming party was already waiting – two green military trucks stood on the jetty, several soldiers guarding them. It took just two minutes to transfer the passengers; then, both trucks turned around and headed to the big barn in the village center.

…

Saito had begun to regain his consciousness. He slowly opened one eye, then another, and tried to look around.

It was a large, brightly lit infirmary without any windows; part of it was enclosed by large folding screen. Several glass cabinets, filled with various boxes and bottles, lined the far wall. He was lying in a hard bed, stripped to his underwear; around him, stood several more beds, all empty.

Near the door was a large wooden table; small old man in white coat was sitting behind, with an open paper folder in his hands. On both sides of his table, stood two large men in green uniforms, pistols holstered on their belts.

Saito tried to stand up, but his head went dizzy; he fell back on the bed, drawing doctor's attention. Guards threw a menacing look at him, one reached for his holster.

'Where am I? Who are you?' Saito asked.

'Relax, young man.' the doctor answered as he turned to look at Saito. 'The drug should wear off in several minutes – until then, try not to make any sudden movements, or you may lose your balance again.'

Saito slowly started to regain his memories about recent events – the weekend at Fuji that ended with a wild car chase and several shoot-outs… and finally, their abduction by several mysterious assailants.

'Where's my wife and parents?'

'Your wife? Oh, you probably mean this pink-haired girl who arrived with you? She is here. I do not know about any other captives.'

The doctor stood up and pushed the folding screen aside. A single bed stood behind; his wife was lying on it, sleeping. Saito, who finally managed to stand up, slowly approached her. Louise shuddered at the sounds and slowly opened her eyes.

'Louise! Are you all right?' Saito asked as he sat beside her.

'Saito!' His wife threw herself on his neck and hugged him tightly. 'Who are these people and what do they want from us?'

The intercom device that stood at the table crackled to life, and deep voice filled the infirmary.

'Mr. Benedict, are our guests already awake?'

'Yes, Professor.' the doctor answered.

'Good. Have them escorted into the main lab.'

'Looks like our director is requesting your presence' the doctor said to the couple and gestured to the guards. 'You will find your clothes in this locker. These gentlemen will guide you; I strongly advise against doing anything rash while you're here – or they most likely will harm you.'

Saito put on his clothes and went to help Louise; she was still dizzy, and he had to dress her, just like old times. As he finished, one of the guards gestured him to follow; second stood up behind Saito's back, ready to thwart any attempts to escape.

…

Guards led the pair through clean, well-lit corridors, all looking the same; there were doors on both sides, with signs written in language that was unknown to Saito. Several times they met with other denizens – men and women of various ages who looked at them with genuine interest. Saito tried to ask them about this place, but guard pushed him, ordering to move silently. Louise, still not fully recovered from sleeping drug, clung to his arm for support.

Finally, they arrived to big double doors with sign on them that read simply "LAB 1". The lead guard knocked lightly, then opened the door and stepped inside; the pair followed suit. It was much darker inside; Saito blinked few times, his eyes adjusting for the low light.

They were in a huge, two-story tall, dimly lit hall. Hardware cabinets, barrels and boxes filled it up to the roof, leaving only a small circular space in its center; a big apparatus stood there.

It looked like a thick spear, standing on two pedestals. On one end was a half-meter long thin silver needle; the other end of the spear was connected to various devices and instruments through big cluster of cables, wires and pipes. Several rings of different diameters were affixed to it, designed to rotate on the device axis.

To the left was a desk with a computer terminal; a tall black-haired man in a dark tailored suit sat behind it, engrossed in work.

As they made it closer, he turned on his chair to look at the new arrivals. He sported moustache and a short rounded beard with hints of grey hair, and seemed to be in his late fifties.

'Louise Valliere, the Void Mage, and Hiraga Saito, the Gandalfr. Nice to meet you both.' He gestured to guards. 'Wait outside.'

As soldiers made their way out, the man stood up and approached the pair.

'I am Professor Viktor Galvanov, the owner and head of this station. Sorry for rather unpleasant circumstances of our meeting, but I like to keep my existence in secret – which means that I can't allow to myself luxuries like invitations.'

'Your mercenaries nearly killed us! What do you want from us? Where are my parents?' Saito shouted angrily.

'Please, one question at a time. These were outsourced help and did not complied with my explicit order; but, as I may see, you handled them very well. As per your other questions…' He walked to his desk and took something from drawer; Louise was surprised to see her wand.

'Lady Valliere, could you tell me how do you use this beautiful contraption?'

The pink-haired girl, now fully awake, was filling with anger.

'Give me that, you commoner, and I will show you in no time! But you might need medical help after that!' she shouted and tried to hit him with her fists; Saito barely managed to grab her. Galvanov just smirked.

'What an energetic young lady. Well, at least answer one question: how did you get your magic? And I don't mean your noble ancestry; I'm interested in the very nature of your abilities.'

'Our Founder, Brimir, took it from elves and gave it to His followers! Stop asking such simple questions and give me my wand back, you dog!'

'And how the elves got it?'

Louise was caught off guard by this question.

'I… I… I don't know.' She murmured, deep in thoughts. 'There is some old Elven texts that tell about great ancient gods that descended upon Great Desert to bring the magic down to earth… but that is considered to be a fairy tale even by Church of Romalia!'

Galvanov sighed.

'And yet another true story that grew to become a tale for children. My dear, your abilities weren't brought to you by some god, or founder, or other higher being. They are result of contamination of your planet's biosphere by an alien substance that was brought by a comet.'

'I… I don't understand! Your talk – this is blasphemy! How dare you to insult our Founder, you petty commoner?' Louise retorted angrily. 'And what is a "biosphere"?'

'Blasphemy… Founder… It seems that we've got a zealot here.' Galvanov grimaced. 'As Karl Marx said, "Religion is opium of the people"; and you, my dear, look like a washed-up junkie.'

Saito, on the other hand, understood Russian scientist very well – he still remembered that particular concept from his biology lessons back in the school.

'Your theory – it's like panspermia, right?'

'Smart boy! Yes, exactly. According to my calculations, it happened around fifty thousand years ago, give or take two thousand. The comet broke apart before event, presumably under the gravitational influence of your moons. A very fortunate circumstance, I must add – the comet was around twenty kilometers in diameter; an impact event of this magnitude could easily trigger a mass extinction. At least three major fragments blew up in atmosphere over Great Desert.'

This man could be Colbert's blood brother, Saito thought. Galvanov cleared his throat and continued.

'The comet nucleus contained a very unusual substance. It did not burn upon entry and wasn't consumed in the blast. Instead the substance – we here refer to it as "black dust" – fell over desert, affecting all its inhabitants, including elves. At some point later, humans somehow contacted with black dust and got the abilities you refer to as "magic" – these were ancestors of your present-day nobility.'

'How did you learn all of this?' Saito asked with amazement.

Galvanov smiled. 'Thirty years of hard work – and some help from my dear associate.'

He waved in direction of one of lab's darkened corners.

'Please reveal yourself.'

A cloaked figure appeared from the darkness; as it approached, Saito saw that it was clearly a woman. She lifted her hood, revealing her face; the pair froze in surprise.

He knew this woman, he knew her too well. Long green hair, braided into ponytail. Rimless spectacles. Haughty look.

'Long time no see, Gandalfr!' said Matilda de Sachsen-Gotha, better known as Fouquet.

…

'Fouquet? How did you, of all people, get there?' Saito exclaimed with anger.

'Remember the spell that brings various things from this world to Halkeginia? Well, it can work both ways.' Matilda replied with a slightly sad smirk.

'Saito, let me go this moment! I want to blow this blasphemer into tiny pieces!' Louise shouted.

'Please, my dear, I would hate to call guards.' Professor winked to Saito. 'It must be hard to live with such heavy case of black dust infection.'

'Infection? What do you mean? Magic can eventually kill its user?' Saito asked, clearly troubled by the perspective. Louise stopped her attempts to break free, equally disturbed by professor's words.

'No, nothing like that. Actually, it could prolong your life – it won't grant you immortality, but infected people could live up to 120 Earth years. They are more resistant to common diseases and heal more quickly. They also age slower than normal people - Matilda told me about Osmond, the headmaster of your Academy of Magic. According to her, he's 89 now – and he doesn't show any sign of diseases that is commonly associated with an old age.'

'And keep in mind the fact that old pervert smokes his smelly pipe for about fifteen times a day!' Matilda said with disgust.

'Aside from magic abilities, there are various symptoms of infection. The most striking is unusual hair color and eye color – although it is manifests mainly in women. Irritability is also common – sometimes it can reach extreme levels, for example, girl that likes boy will beat him to show her affection. Sometimes, high black dust concentration affects brain functions – turning infected mad; I believe that was the case with your late king Joseph.'

Saito looked at his wife – and wasn't surprised when she blushed slightly.

…

Two floors below, three other prisoners were sitting in a small cell. Manami lied on the bunk, sleeping; Keiji and Takeshi were on the floor, talking quietly.

'What would we do now, Hiraga-san?' young cop asked.

'I don't know, Keiji. I'm honestly don't know.' his boss answered him. 'These guys who abducted us – they're clearly not simple bandits.'

'Did you recognize someone?' Keiji asked.

'Their leader. Hendrik Kruger – bad news. Ex-South African Special Forces, or Recce; was involved in several secret operations in 90s – ones that ended with massacres. Wanted since fall of apartheid.'

They both went silent as Kruger entered the room. He changed back into his desert fatigues and red Recce beret.

'Alright, little _policie_, it's time for us to talk.'

…

'All right, let's put science lessons aside. I ask you directly – what do you want from us?' – Saito asked their Russian host.

'Let me show you something first.'

Galvanov put Louise's wand on microscope table and walked to the big apparatus.

'This is Warlock – my best creation.'

The Russian professor was now beaming with pride.

'This machine allows me to apply various stimuli – heat, cold, light, radiation and so on – to a black dust sample, mimicking its interaction with human body. First, you load the persona matrix – information about mage, which is used to define initial range of possible spells. Second, you load the spell matrix – an instruction set for stimuli-inducing machinery. Finally, you insert the sample into this notch – and then magic happen.'

He gestured to shelf that stood beside apparatus; it held several small glass cylinders with fine black-colored dust inside.

'You see, the biggest fragment of the comet was ejected out of the star system; approximately four thousand years later, it collided with our Moon. In 1982, Soviet space agency sent a secret mission to its impact crater; that's where my current samples come from.'

'Sadly, I have three problems. First, every use of the Warlock consumes black dust – and I'm already low on supplies. Second, the source – as you may have already guessed, one cannot simply go to the Moon and back. And finally third – I'm dangerously low on test subjects, and Matilda here is absolutely not to be dissected.'

Galvanov looked at Louise and smiled wolfishly.

'And that is where you, my dear, come in. You see, your infection is unique – your body not only has the same mutations as that of other mages; it actually can produce the black dust, which makes you invaluable for me.'

He turned to Saito.

'As for you, my boy – you are the first earthborn human who was infected with black dust and survived. You will be my zero patient – a model specimen for future experiments.'

'You're even crazier than Joseph…' Louise whispered with fear.

'Try it, Russian. Just try it – and I will do anything to kill you!' Saito shouted with rage.

'So be it, Gandalfr. Guards!'

…

Saito realized that time to act has come. He noticed Louise's wand lying on the microscope table; beside it was a small scalpel used to chip off samples.

Saito quickly weighed his options. Galvanov was unarmed and couldn't put up a serious resistance. Guards were outside, behind closed door; it would require several seconds for them to react. Matilda stood up beside her new master, her wand nowhere to be seen.

In a quick move, he darted to the microscope table and took scalpel in the left hand, and the optical device itself in the right; despite its small size, it was rather heavy. Suddenly, his Gandalfr runes started to glow.

'Partner, this knife of yours – looks like it's a weapon!' Derf 's voice, clearly worried, sounded in his head.

'But it's just a medical scalpel… damn, I have no time to contemplate on this!' Saito answered him and tossed microscope at Matilda.

His aim was far worse than that of Louise; the device hit female thief in chest, but it was enough to shock her for a couple of seconds; and these seconds were all that Saito needed to execute his bold escape plan.

In one long jump, he reached Russian scientist, took him by the collar and pressed the scalpel to his neck; overwhelmed by his sudden attack, Galvanov didn't put up any resistance. He just smiled thinly, seemed to be not afraid of threat.

Guards burst into the lab, guns in their hands. Saito pressed his weapon against professor's neck.

'Now, would you kindly order your goons to stand down? And don't forget to ask them to bring my parents and my friend here.' Saito asked him.

'As you wish, boy.' Russian waved to the guards. 'Please, do as he said.'

He then reached for his intercom. 'Hendrik, bring your prisoners up to main lab. All three of them.'

In the meantime, Matilda regained her footing and tried to reach her wand.

'Don't you even try, witch!'

She looked up and saw Louise with wand in her hand, ready to blow anything into smithereens. Saito smiled at the sight; Matilda just frowned and put her hands up in the air.

Two minutes later, Takeshi, his wife and his assistant entered the room, escorted by Kruger and three guards. Security chief's eyes widened as he saw the situation; he reached for a large holster on his belt and pulled out a big silver revolver.

'Tell him to drop it, or else!' Saito said in a threatening tone to his hostage. Galvanov smiled calmly and nodded.

'Hendrik, please comply.'

Kruger threw an angry look at Saito and put his gun on the floor.

'Mom, dad, Keiji! You alright?' Saito cried to them.

'We're fine, son. Despite that Afrikaner here, who tried his best to break us.' Takeshi answered. Hendrik just clenched his teeth.

'What will you do now, boy? Kill me – and you will never make it out of here alive.' Galvanov asked, smiling thinly.

'Louise, open a World Door to De Ornielle!'

Louise nodded and started her chant; professor just watched, as if not noticing the scalpel aimed at his neck.

'Fascinating, simply fascinating.'

As Louise finished her spell, portal opened. It was late evening in Halkeginia; she could see their mansion at De Ornielles, several windows still lighted – someone, probably Siesta, were still awake, or just forgot to put off the light. The last thought angered her – after all, it was her property as well, and she hated when somebody used it inefficiently.

'You three go first. Hurry up!' Saito told his parents. 'Louise won't be able to keep it for long!'

Manami was first, she approached the World Door with caution and stepped through, Keiji followed her; Takeshi was the last. Behind them, Saito noticed a girl in maid uniform that stood in mansion main door; apparently, Siesta noticed Louise's portal.

Now it was time for them to escape. He turned his attention to Russian professor.

'Alright, Russian. Now I and my wife will go through the portal; I don't want your sorry ass on my premises, so I will let you go. Do something, and you're dead.' Saito warned his hostage. Galvanov just smiled.

'Boy, in my twenties I weren't afraid of KGB – and, if you know what KGB is, you might want to work on your threat talk.'

Saito shoved the Russian aside, hurtling him into Hendrik; both men fell to the floor. He then grabbed his wife from behind and jumped into the portal. Kruger tried to get his gun, but Galvanov grabbed it first and shook his head. They just gazed at the portal; without Louise maintaining it, it quickly shrank and finally closed, leaving them behind.

…

With Hendrik's help, Galvanov stood up, straightened his suit and walked off to Warlock control table.

'How could you let this happen?' Matilda shouted in anger. The Russian handed the gun back to its owner, sat down and activated his computer terminal.

'You're young, Matilda. Childish. Impulsive. You care about small things, but you fail to see the big picture.' he said without ever looking at his Halkeginian accomplice. The screen flashed to life as Galvanov logged in and began to enter commands.

...

INITIALIZING WARLOCK…

CHECKING REACTOR POWER OUTPUT…

REACTOR STATUS: 32% POWER OUTPUT

WARNING: INSUFFICIENT POWER OUTPUT, WARLOCK PROTOCOL INITIALIZATION…

POWERING UP…

REACTOR STATUS: 98% POWER OUTPUT

POWER STATUS: READY

...

Doctor Benedict silently entered the lab.

'Did you get the record?' professor asked him; old man nodded and gave him small laser disc. Galvanov just smiled and entered another command.

'What's so funny?' Matilda asked anxiously.

...

PERSONA MATRIX LOADING…

SUBJECT: VALLIERE, L.-F.

BRAIN CHART LOADING… SUCCESSFUL

NEURON MATRIX LOADING… SUCCESSFUL

BLOOD CELL CONFIGURATION LOADING… SUCCESSFUL

INITIALIZING BRAIN EMULATION… SUCCESSFUL

PERSONA MATRIX STATUS: READY

...

'Let me just say that people can be extremely malleable when it comes to life and death. I needed only two things from the girl – and I got them both easily. First…'

Galvanov reached for his pocket and produced a small book in black ornamental cover with little golden lock.

'The Founder's Prayer Book? But how this thing can be useful to us?'

'Go to adjacent lab – they have an ultraviolet lamp over there; use it on the book – you will find most interesting read. I must say that I misjudged that Founder of yours – he wasn't brilliant. He was a goddamn genius.'

Matilda calmed herself; she was completely puzzled by professor's serenity.

'And the second?'

The Russian scientist inserted doctor's disc into his terminal. Drive started to buzz, and new data filled the screen.

...

SPELL MATRIX LOADING…

ID: WORLD DOOR

SYMBIOTIC CHART TYPE: 0

ENERGY SIGNATURE OVERLAY LOADING… SUCCESSFUL

RELEVANT EMITTERS FOUND: 4

INITIALIZING …

NEUTRON EMITTER INITIALIZING… READY

LIQUID NITROGEN DISPENSER INITIALIZING… READY

DOUBLE BETA PARTICLE EMITTER INITIALIZING… READY

TYPE IV CAVITY MAGNETRON INITIALIZING… READY

COORDINATE CHART INITIATING… READY

SPELL MATRIX STATUS: READY

ENTER DESTINATION COORDINATES:

...

He entered string of numbers.

A long, thin mechanical arm moved to grab one of the sample capsules; it then inserted it into the device.

...

INJECTING BLACK DUST SAMPLE… SUCCESSFUL

CONNECTING… SUCCESSFUL

WARLOCK STATUS: READY

AWAITING USER CONFIRMATION

EXECUTE SPELL? Y/N

...

'Their escape is an unfortunate event – but not a disaster. Have you ever heard of ultimate strategy game, the chess? Sacrifice a pawn to get to the king.' Galvanov said and pressed the Y key.

'We just lost an asset that we've been hunting for several months – I'd call that a loss!'

With loud humming, magnetron activated; the rings around the device started to spin. The sample camera filled with liquid nitrogen; it started to evaporate, producing clouds of white mist.

'You've said that we lost? No, my dear Matilda.'

Bright flash formed on the end of sample chamber, and Warlock discharged with a loud clap. The flash transformed into a small white ball; it fell off, slowly flew for a couple of meters and expanded into a floating circle with bright white rim. Image of medieval city with magnificent castle at the background appeared in its center.

Matilda just stared with amazement. She immediately recognized Tristainia and its Royal Palace.

Viktor Galvanov turned to face her and spread his hands, grinning in triumph.

'We've just started playing.'

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_All things scientifical._

_As I promised earlier:_

_\- Viktor Galvanov is based on Tim Curry and his multiple villain roles._

_\- Hendrik Kruger is based on several villains from various media, mainly on Lt. Frye from The Rock. Expect some psychotic actions from him in the future chapters._


	5. Chapter 4 - Home Sweet Home

**CHAPTER 4 – HOME SWEET HOME**

* * *

It was a late evening at De Ornielle. Most servants were already sleeping, or were preparing to go to bed. One window was still brightly lit: Siesta, who was appointed as head maid by Saito before his departure, sat in library, buried in ledgers.

'Yard one: harvested three tons… that should give us at least ten barrels of red dry. Yard two: harvested two and half tons… Yard three… damn, it's hard to be a head maid!'

She rubbed her eyes and stretched her legs. 'After all, tomorrow is another day… Now, sleep.' She then put ledger on its shelf, extinguished lights and went into the main hall.

As she walked to the windows, Siesta thought sadly about the good old days – her rivalry with other girls (including two queens and one half-elf) in desire to win Saito's heart, their nights with Saito and Louise… All of that was in the past now - she would never try to break their marriage. But after all, she was still young and pretty; and there were several promising candidates among De Ornielle residents…

Bright flash of light outside caught her attention. As she approached front window, flash expanded into oval; the maid immediately recognized one of her mistress' signature spells.

As Siesta ran outside, three figures appeared from the World Door – a woman and two men; then, she caught a glimpse of pink inside – and in next moment Saito, with Louise in his arms, jumped through the closing portal and crashed right into front lawn.

'Saito-san! Lady Valliere! Are you all right?' Siesta cried as she ran to them. Saito was helping Louise at her feet; he gave his head maid a welcoming smile.

'Yes, Siesta, we're… alri…' Louise tried to say; suddenly, her legs trembled, and she almost fell back to the ground – Saito barely had time to catch her.

'Siesta, call the doctor! Now!'

…

Louise lay in her bed at De Ornielle, sleeping soundly. Saito sat beside, holding her hand; old woman – their resident water mage – finished her chants and stood up.

'Is she ill? Does she need any medicine?' Saito asked her.

'No, milord, she is not ill, just very tired.' old woman answered. 'We should let her rest; by tomorrow morning, she will be alright.'

'Tired? But… She woke up just about half an hour before we've got here!' Saito told her, confused.

'Did she cast any complex spells?' water mage asked. 'Such symptoms are consistent with fatigue from spellcasting.'

'Just one and it didn't knock her down before.'

Old woman leaned over Louise, checking on her one more time. 'Can you bring more light, please?'

Saito took lamp from the nightstand and held it over his wife.

'Hmm… She is very pale. Did she by any chance suffer any blood loss lately?'

'Not that I know of.'

'Wait…' The doctor took Louise's left hand to examine it closely. 'Look at these marks.'

There were two small red dots at her elbow.

'These looks like insect or snake stings – but there is no such insect or snake that could suck so much blood, and I didn't detect any venom in her body.'

'And there is no such thing as vampires, either. But it looks… oh damn.' Saito jumped in a sudden realization.

Old mage was confused. 'What is it, milord?'

'Looks like that bastard got what he wanted.'

…

Takeshi and Manami slowly walked around the main hall, their eyes gaped in amazement. Even in faint lights of oil lamps, De Ornielle Manor made a lasting impression. Various trophies, paintings and statues made this place look like a museum, rather than a house.

'Just you look at that…' Takeshi whispered.

'Yes… Our son did really extraordinary things if they awarded him with such a beauty…'

In the meantime, Keiji just sat down at the small coach, too tired from their recent adventures. He decided that the manor won't go anywhere, so he would tour it tomorrow.

'Can I help you?'

Takeshi turned at the voice; it was girl in maid outfit, the same who met them. Earlier, she helped Saito to bring his unconscious wife upstairs and went to wake up the doctor.

'How's Louise?' Manami asked.

Siesta smiled. 'The doctor says that she just needs some rest. But where are my manners? My name is Siesta, the head maid of De Ornielle manor.'

'I am Takeshi, Saito's father; this is Manami, my wife.'

'Nice to meet you, Siesta! Saito told us about you.' Manami added.

'You're probably tired too! Come, I'll show you your rooms!'

They went up to the second floor; no one of them noticed young man in a blue uniform who cuddled up at the couch near the window.

…

After the old woman left, Saito quietly undressed and slipped in the bed. Louise just shivered slightly when he pulled her to his chest and kissed her in the forehead.

'Don't worry, my love. No one will hurt you while I'm alive… no one.'

Saito lay down, thinking about what happened to them. He wasn't sure whether to believe Galvanov or not; but he felt that this was not the last they heard of him and his accomplices.

He didn't noticed how he fell asleep.

…

**Western Kamchatka**

'Is this all you managed to take from her?' Galvanov asked, looking at two blood bags that were lying in infirmary freezer. Each of them sported a small tag that read "VALLIERE".

'Yes. Losing more blood could kill her – and you ordered to avoid any possible harm.' doctor Benedict answered to his boss.

'Mind to tell me why do you need her blood so badly?' Matilda, who stood beside doctor, asked Professor.

The Russian nodded.

'Very well. You see, humans – from Earth or your world – have four basic blood types, commonly named 0, A, B, AB. And there are four corresponding types of black dust infection. In your world these are referred to as "magical affinity". For example, your blood type is A – and your element is Earth. Elves are dissimilar – their blood composition differs from that of a human; there are no blood types – and thus, elves have only one infection type. Am I right, doctor?'

Benedict closed the freezer and joined in the conversation.

'Yes. The infection itself, though, is the same in humans and elves - black dust concentrates in bone marrow, which allows it to use blood cells for replication. When mage casts spell, blood cells are used as "fuel"; burn too much – and you will collapse due to blood loss.'

'But if this black dust is present in any magic user – why don't use any…' Matilda cut off, realizing what she just proposed. Galvanov noticed that and chuckled.

'You have nothing to fear. Human and elf bodies cannot be used as black dust farms – it is embedded in cells in such way that any attempt to extract it leads to cell destruction – and dissolution of black dust inside. And this is where little Valliere comes. As I said earlier, her blood is truly unique – black dust is contained in it in a free form, which allows me to extract and use it. Benedict did MRT on her – she has two small tumors on her cerebellum, which seems to be responsible for its production.'

'Then why you let her go? Of course, you've got her World Door, but your resources are still strained!'

Galvanov smiled. 'You've already answered this question yourself. Of course, I could just put a gun to her head and order to cast it; but where is the guarantee that she will produce the right spell, and not the one that turn us all into toads? So I've devised this small clever plan – let her use it to escape, recording the whole process. As I said earlier: sacrifice the pawn to get to the king.'

'But what about resources?'

'Don't worry, my dear, and continue your work on the diary. Everything is under control.' Galvanov said and left the infirmary.

Slight chill ran down green-haired woman's back. Truth to be told, she was starting to be afraid of this man and his plans.

…

**De Ornielle Manor, next morning**

Louise slowly opened her eyes. She was lying in their main bedroom, Saito by her side. She recalled her first dreams about their own house – little crystal model, crude drawings with cute figures, her embarrassment at the very thought of having such room… Now it was out of concern, thanks to Founder.

'Wake up, sleepyhead!' she said as she shoved her husband. 'We'll miss breakfast!'

'Ugh… Louise…' Saito struggled to awake. He basically leaped as he finally realized that his wife was awake.

'Louise! Are you alright?' he exclaimed.

'Y-y-yes… Why do you ask?'

'Don't you remember last evening? You collapsed right after we've arrived here!'

She tried to gather her memories. Car chase, capture, that blasphemer Galvanov and his intentions… She trembled at the last thought and threw herself into Saito's arms.

'N-not exactly… I remember that man… and…' She shuddered and buried her face in Saito's chest.

'Louise… I always said – and I would repeat that now: I will protect you from any harm – no matter the cost.' Saito said as he held her firmly.

'I know, my love...' Louise answered, trying her best to hold tears.

…

Early sun shed its rays on the vast De Ornielle vineyards. Workers started to wake up – they had to do their morning rituals quickly and get to the fields, as it was the harvest season. The new owners wanted to return De Ornielle, once the first winery in Tristain, to its former glory – and all of commoners who lived there were eager to help them.

Keiji woke up as sun was shining in his face. He stood up from his coach, stretched and looked around.

'Nice place you got here, man!' young cop whistled.

His rumbling stomach reminded him that last time he ate something was the day before yesterday, and Kruger didn't offered them anything. It was too early for breakfast, so Keiji went in search of food.

Delicious smells prompted his way, and soon he entered large kitchen. It was full of life. Numerous steaming pans and pots stood on a large oven; several boys and girls scurried back and forth, preparing the breakfast. Black-haired girl in maid outfit seemed to be in charge.

'Good morning, folks! Can I get something to eat?'

'How many times I have to tell you, Antoine?' Black-haired maid turned at his voice. 'Don't even try to barge in… Oh?' She saw Keiji and went silent.

'Hi, I'm Keiji! Nakamura Keiji. And you are?'

Girl just stared at him; Keiji noted that she was very attractive – shoulder-length black hairs, cute face with big blue eyes, classic black and white maid outfit… and not to mention decent breasts.

'I'm Si… Si…' she stuttered.

'Your name is Si?' Keiji smiled.

Girl blushed heavily. 'Siesta!'

'Siesta? I saw you yesterday – you were the one who met us outside.'

'Us? Oh Founder! You were with Saito-san and others!' She lowered her head in guilt. 'Please, forgive me for my negligence. You should tell my master so he could punish me for this.'

'What? Why should I do that?'

'But I didn't notice you! I didn't even offer you a room for the night!'

'Don't worry about that! It's my fault – I was too tired and fell asleep on a nice coach. And trust me, it was far better than many things I've slept on recently!' Keiji reassured her with warm smile. Siesta looked at him, her eyes shimmering.

'So you won't tell Saito-san, Keiji-san?'

'Of course not, forget about that! And please, just call me Keiji.'

Siesta smiled in relief.

'All right… Keiji! Breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes, but if you want something now…'

'No, I'll wait for others. My stomach surely can endure that!'

…

Everyone gathered in the dining room, and servants started to serve food – bacon and eggs, fruits and pastries, accompanied by fresh juice and coffee.

'What a nice breakfast! Thank you, Siesta!' Saito exclaimed.

'I missed them…' Louise added silently.

Siesta smiled. 'Thank you and bon appetite! If someone would like some house wine, just ask!'

The dining room went almost silent for the next twenty minutes, as they all enjoyed their breakfast. The only sounds were clutter of cutlery and approving sounds. Siesta was a master of her craft – even Manami, who considered herself a breakfast guru, decided to ask her for a several recipes.

Finally, Siesta arrived to collect their dishes and bring coffee; she still didn't quite trust her subordinates to do such responsible task. As she served Keiji, she threw a quick look at him and blushed; it did not go unnoticed by Saito.

'Hey, man!' he whispered to his friend. 'Looks like you've got yourself an admirer!'

'Huh? What do you mean?'

'Didn't you notice how Siesta looks at you?' Saito smirked and slightly raised his voice – just enough that Siesta, who was at the other end of the table, could hear. 'Say, Keiji, you're single now, right?'

'Yes, but why… Hey!' It was time for Keiji to blush. Saito glanced at his head maid and noticed that she quickly hid a smile.

'Come on, she obviously likes you, and judging by your red phiz, I can tell that it's mutual. Go for it, man!'

'What's going on here?' Louise asked her laughing husband.

'Saito is trying to play matchmaker here – me and Siesta.' Keiji murmured.

'Siesta, you say…' Louise put on one of her conspiratorial smiles. 'You know, that's actually a great idea. She is interested in your world – tell her something about it.'

'Louise, you're actually asking me to…'

'Do you know Saito's history with Siesta?' Louise asked him.

'Well, yes, but…'

She gave him an innocent look.

'Keiji, it was not a request.'

…

As they came out of the dining room, Manami turned to face her son.

'Well, thanks for the warm welcome, but I must ask your wife – would you send me and my husband back home? I'm worried about our house.'

Saito raised a brow. 'You'd better stay here for a while – it might be dangerous to return so soon.'

'Young man, that's my house out there, and I don't care about how dangerous…'

'He's right, Manami. What if these thugs decide to kidnap us again? And this time, they will come in force.' Takeshi interrupted his wife. 'Besides, don't forget about our standard procedures at Interpol – if I won't show up as usual and won't make a call, they will send someone to check on me. Our boys will secure the house in no time.'

'But my house…'

Both husband and son gave her the look that read "It's decided"; even Louise glanced at her with mix of surprise and fear.

'But what about Keiji? He can ruin his career if he won't show up!' Manami tried her last card.

'He's in the same boat – and he's my assistant, so all of our procedures apply to him.' Takeshi said in a no-argument tone. 'And it looks like he doesn't even want to leave so soon' he added as he glanced at young cop, who was chatting happily with Siesta.

'Alright, alright. We'll stay here for a while – but only until things calm down!' She sighed, admitting defeat. 'But I want to ask – is there any decent clothes shop nearby? Our attire doesn't fit for such beautiful place!'

'Shop? Why would you need that? There is a great tailor in the village – he was the one who made a wedding dress for Louise.' Saito answered her. 'I'll send for him immediately.'

Siesta, who was still nearby, raised her hand. 'Consider it done, Saito-san!'

'Oh, and one more thing.' Manami said and turned to head maid. 'I want an access to your kitchen.'

'Of course, Mrs. Hiraga, but… why? I and my staff can do anything you ask!'

Manami just winked her.

'Young lady, you should never underestimate the power of a bored housewife.'

…

Saito and Louise went to their room to change clothes; he was now dressed in jeans and his faithful blue-white jacket, and his wife wore her Academy attire, with one small addition – necklace with De Ornielle coat of arms around her neck.

'You look beautiful' Saito said and kissed her.

'Saito, this is my usual outfit. What's so beautiful in it?' Louise asked.

'You, of course.'

'Flatterer' she murmured as they shared a deep kiss.

As they came out to the porch, they saw that the groom already led their horse – a beautiful white Halkeginian stallion – out of the stables. Saito quickly jumped in the saddle and helped Louise to get in front of him.

Manami and Takeshi also came out to wish them farewell; Keiji and Siesta stood nearby.

'We're going to visit Academy – meet old friends and, most importantly, talk to staff about that incident of ours.' Saito said to his father.

'If there is someone in Halkeginia who could know about that "black dust", it would be Old Osmond and Colbert.' Louise added.

'Alright, kids. Good luck and take care of yourself!' Takeshi said to the young couple. 'Come back soon!'

'See you soon!' Saito shouted, as their horse trotted out. They rode on the narrow road that led through numerous vineyards; soon, they left De Ornielle behind and went onto the main path that led to the Tristainian Academy of Magic.

'Saito… What do you think – this man, would he dare to come here?' Louise asked her husband.

'I don't know, my love. I honestly don't know…'

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_Love in the air. Don't you worry, action fans – just give Uncle Viktor some time to ready his cool toys._

_Keiji: He looks like Saito, but slightly older, and wears blue police uniform. Funny thing is that in my early notes he was meant to be only in first chapter; then I thought that it would be interesting to include him into car chase sequence to make a way for some comic relief, and here we go – he's a full character now, with his own pairing!_


	6. Chapter 5 - Welcome Back

**CHAPTER 5 – WELCOME BACK**

* * *

The White Halkeginian, controlled by Saito, trotted across the great plains that encircled the Tristain Academy of Magic. Its spires already appeared over the horizon; the couple began to recognize familiar places – but not all of them evoked warm feelings.

'There it is…' Saito said.

Louise just clung to him tighter.

At their right was a big pile of rocks – all what remained of Ancient Dragon that attacked the Academy half a year ago. In days after its destruction, a team of specialists headed by Osmond meticulously searched the remains for any traces of magic; they found nothing – Louise's Explosion, powered by Lifprasir powers, was so powerful that it basically burned Dragon inside out, leaving nothing except crumpled rock. Saito noticed several cart tracks that led from the rock pile in the direction of a nearby village; local commoners already took the opportunity to use remains as a free source of building material.

As they approached the Academy, they saw one new building – a large wooden dock-like structure; magnificent flying ship stood there – _Ostland_, the most beloved brainchild of Professor Jean Colbert. Saito noticed that Great Lance – an old German anti-aircraft gun – was absent from the main deck. That was not a surprise – Colbert, being a known pacifist, always opposed any attempts to militarize his creation; the only case when he allowed it was the battle with Ancient Dragon.

Finally the young couple reached the main gates and entered courtyard. There was almost no one around; that fact surprised Louise, as school year must've been well underway already. They noticed that the Academy was already restored to its former glory. All the gaps that were made by attacking dragon horde were patched, and broken windows were replaced. Even the Earth Tower, crushed to dust during assault, stood as new.

They left their horse in the stables and went into adjacent courtyard, where the outdoor café was situated; they saw two persons at one of the tables - a blonde girl with long curled hairs, who scolded a somewhat pompous-looking young man with a bright red rose in hand. Louise waved her hand in greeting.

'Guiche! Montmorency!'

The pair waved in return. 'Saito! Louise! Welcome back!'

As they went closer, Louise could see that Guiche was clearly relieved by their emergence. 'He's being usual self, isn't it? Let me guess – first-year girls?'

'Yup. This time it was "Hello and welcome to Tristainian Academy of Magic, young and beautiful ladies! I am Guiche de Gramont, and it would be my sacred duty to show you around!" Every year it's the same…' Montmorency sighed heavily.

Louise winked her. 'You know, with a good whip you can achieve wonders…'

Guiche went white. 'M-my dearest Montmorency, let's not talk only about us! Saito, how was your honeymoon?'

'Great, but we had to depart kinda quickly…' Saito frowned. 'We went to the picnic, and one chase later, we found ourselves in the lair of a mad scientist. Barely managed to escape.'

Guiche's eyes flashed. 'Picnic turned into chase? How romantic! You and your love, battling evil scoundrels side by side!'

Saito just rolled his eyes. Guiche… Guiche never changes.

Monmon smiled. 'Looks like adventures can find you anywhere! You'll have to tell us in details!'

'Actually, that's why we here.' Louise told her. 'We want to discuss that event with Headmaster – it could affect entire Halkeginia. Is he and Professor Colbert here?'

'Yes, we saw them earlier. Come on, we'll accompany you to the lab.'

…

Takeshi Hiraga glanced at the mirror and shuddered. He was dressed in a white shirt with tight collar, blue breeches and equally blue light coat with golden buttons. Would be a nice costume for a theatric play about something like Napoleonic Wars, he thought; but the tailor, who stood nearby, said that it was common noble attire in Tristain.

'I don't know… It looks so… fancy. Can I have something less luxurious and more comfortable? Like your suit, perhaps?'

The tailor was clearly surprised by Takeshi's request. 'But sir, my suit is clothing for commoners. And being our Lord's relatives, you are entitled to high-class apparel, like these.'

'Bah, that's rubbish. Have you ever seen my son in such dress?'

'Why, yes, I've made a beautiful white camisole for his wedding, and…'

'And I got married twenty years ago and do not intend to do that again, so please, bring me some normal clothing!'

The tailor sighed. 'As you wish, milord.'

Meanwhile, Manami was helped by several maids; she went into her husband's room as she finished.

'Takeshi, just you look that! It's beautiful!'

He turned around and gazed at his wife, who was dressed in a long-to-toe green dress with white laces and ribbons.

'Manami, you look like a princess from these old movies!'

She laughed happily, took her husband's arm and spun in a dance. The tailor with his apprentices moved to the wall, giving them some place.

'This is so beautiful! I wish we came here more often!'

Takeshi raised a brow. 'But what about our home back in Japan? Several hours ago you wanted nothing except going back…'

She frowned. 'Of course I still want it! But hubby, aren't we deserve a little vacation?'

…

'So, where's everyone? Summer's almost over, they should be here by now!' Saito asked as they went to Colbert's place.

'Well, Osmond decided to move the start of school year – to give some time for repairs. Sure, it looks nice outside – but most rooms are still empty.' Monmon answered. 'Tabitha went back to Gallia – and I doubt that she'll ever return, being Queen and all that. Kirche is currently in Tristainia – she got bored and went shopping.'

'Tiffania is in Luctiana's oasis – something about research.' Guiche joined. 'And Malicorne and other Undine Knights are still home – but they should be here in a day or so.'

Couple of minutes later, they came to a small hut that was situated in courtyard's corner – the laboratory of Professor Colbert.

After the short knock, Saito entered the lab. Its owner, a baldy man in a long blue robe, was inside; he grinned as he noticed the visitor.

'Saito! You're finally back! How are you and Louise doing?'

Saito shook his hand. 'We're fine, Sensei, thank you. And how are you and your projects?'

'Well, I proud to say that now _Ostland_ is crewed by volunteers from Her Majesty's Air Navy. That doesn't mean that it's a warship, of course, but after all these adventures I simply cannot allow the students to man it.' Colbert answered. 'And I've finally finished repairs on the Dragon Raiment – if you ever need to use it, feel free to do so.'

'Awesome! Thank you, Sensei!' Saito smiled gratefully. His Zero fighter was grounded since that unfortunate mission during Reconquista War; Saito just hadn't the experience to repair its engine, no matter how hard he tried.

'Saito, may I ask for your help with something?' Colbert nodded at the corner. Metallic chair, outfitted with elaborate set of belts, stood there; big orange cloth lied nearby.

'Hey, that's the ejection seat from my jet fighter!' Saito exclaimed. 'Why is it here?'

Colbert smiled. 'I'm trying to understand how that contraption – how do you name it, "ejection seat"? – works. I know that you used it during that battle – but _Ostland_ was too far to see anything. And I didn't have time to ask you after that.'

'It's a special seat with small rockets. If airplane is broken or damaged by enemy fire, pilot can use it to save his life.' Saito answered. 'And this cloth – it's a parachute, they are used to slow down the falling – just like Levitation spell.'

'That sounds incredibly useful! Our airship crews and dragon riders would be delighted to have such device in their possession – it can save many lives!' Colbert said, delighted by thought.

Saito realized that if he won't interrupt Professor, he would be asking questions about the seat until midnight. 'Professor, can we talk with you and Headmaster Osmond? There was a situation back at my world that I want to discuss, and it's rather urgent.'

'Of course.' Colbert nodded. 'Headmaster is in his office; we should go up there immediately.'

…

Contrary to his boss, Keiji decided not to change his attire. Although his uniform was dirty and slightly ripped in several places, Siesta offered her expertise to clean and patch it up; he happily agreed. In the meantime, he decided to make a good use of De Ornielle hot springs – after all what happened he was craving for a good bath.

He slowly sank into hot water, relaxed and closed his eyes. Yes, it was a really great alternative to car chases and prison cells. He thought about Siesta; Saito was right – she clearly liked him, and Keiji realized with mild surprise that the feeling was mutual. Back home, he didn't really have the time for girls – but he didn't need to worry about that in Halkeginia. Who knows, he may even stay here for a while, like Saito…

'Keiji, your costume is ready!'

Lost in thoughts, he didn't notice as Siesta came back.

'I still don't understand – why don't you just go and order something from our tailor?' the head maid asked as she handed the uniform, now clean and ironed, back to its owner.

'Nah, I'm fine with my current looks. Thank you for help – looks like new!' young cop answered with a wide grin.

She blushed slightly. 'You have a very strange costume – what are these metallic decorations?'

'This? It's my police badge, and this costume is called "uniform". It shows that I'm a policeman.'

The head maid raised her eyebrows. 'Police-man? What is it?'

'Well, police enforce the law – we investigate crimes and catch criminals.'

'So it's like guards, then?'

Young cop thought for a second. 'Yeah, you may say so.'

Siesta frowned. 'But you're not like the guard! They are rude, violent drunkards!'

'What? Policemen are nothing like that. To enforce the law, they must respect it themselves first!' Keiji retorted angrily. 'And if you drink alcohol on duty – you will be thrown out in no time!'

She sighed with relief and smiled. 'It's good to hear that at least in your world guards actually do their jobs… By the way, dinner is soon, so it's time for you to get out.'

Young cop nodded. 'Back to the house, then. Just let me dress up.'

…

Old Osmond and Colbert listened to the story, occasionally interrupting to clarify unfamiliar terms.

'And that would be all, I think.' Saito said as he finished.

'Incredible. Just incredible. You say that a man from your world managed to build a machine that could cast magic?'

'Well, I didn't see it actually working…' Saito answered to fascinated Colbert.

Headmaster just shook his head.

'The sole fact that there is a man from your world who knows so much about Halkeginia is highly disturbing. And if he got Fouquet, a well-known criminal, at his side, his intentions cannot be good.'

'By the way, she said that she got into my world through Founder's spell – the one that brings various weapons here. Does it actually work the other way?' Saito asked.

Osmond sighed. 'No one knows how it works at all, except Founder himself. And He didn't leave any notes that would shed some light on its action.'

Colbert wiped the sweat from his forehead. 'Can we be sure that they won't find a way here?'

'He might be aware of a portal that opens during solar eclipse.' Saito told him. 'But this way is unreliable, to say the least. You have to be in the right place in the right time – it was an ultimate luck that I managed to return to Halkeginia.'

Colbert nodded. 'And we can completely rule out use of Founder's spell. No one can predict when or how it will manifest itself. In the last years, I've tried to create some patterns – but failed.'

'Anyway, we must tell Queen Henrietta about this at once; Queen of Gallia also needs to know.' Osmond said. 'Professor, please see to it.'

'Of course, Headmaster.'

Louise, who sat silently during the entire conversation, spoke. 'And what about this black thing he'd been talking about? Have you ever heard of it?'

Osmond shook his head. 'Sorry, Lady Valiere, but I have to disappoint you – I've never heard anything about that "black dust" phenomenon. There is an old Elven tale about gods that came down from the heaven, but even Elves themselves call it a fable.'

'And what about Academy Archives? There could be some information!' Louise asked him.

'It's highly doubtful that we will find something. They hold information about recent Tristain affairs, and we're seeking something that possibly predates Tristain. Such things could be only in palace archives, or in Romalia; you'll have to talk with Her Majesty about that.'

'Lady Valliere, we completely forgot about one source!' Colbert exclaimed as he turned to Louise. 'Is there anything in Founder's Prayer Book that could be related to this "black dust"?'

'The Prayer Book? I did not have time to… Oh no…' Louise whispered the last words as she went pale. 'When we went for the trip, I left it with my wand. And if my wand was in Galvanov's possession…'

Saito finished for her.

'It means that he got it.'

…

The pair, accompanied by Colbert, left Headmaster's office and went back to Professor's hut to prepare letters for the Queens.

'Lady Valliere, you shouldn't worry so much about it.' Colbert said, trying to reassure her. 'Only the Void Mages can read the book – and Fouquet is obviously not one of them. There is nothing to be afraid of, I suppose.'

'Nothing? This book was entrusted to me by the Queen herself, and now I lost it! How will I explain it to her?' she sobbed as she burst into tears.

Saito hugged his wife. 'Louise, it wasn't your fault. You was unconscious almost the whole time – there was no way to

She raised her head to look at him. 'Saito, we must return the book. I will open the World Door, and…'

'What? You seriously want to go back to that place? Galvanov will capture you again – and this time he might use not just sleeping drug, but weapons!'

'Lady Valliere, please, listen to your husband. He is right – what you're proposing is completely suicidal!' Colbert exclaimed.

She sobbed one last time and nodded lightly. 'I… I suppose you're right… But we should devise some plan to get it back!'

Saito sighed. 'Alright… But please promise me you won't do anything alone.'

She nodded. 'I promise…'

Meanwhile, a lone rider entered the courtyard - young woman with short blonde hairs, dressed in light armor with Royal Musketeers emblem on its chest plate. She drove up to the Professor's hut, leaped from her horse and knocked at the door.

Colbert went to open the door; he was surprised when he recognized the visitor.

'Agnes? What are you doing here?'

'Monsieur Colbert, I have a message for you. Your presence is requested by Her Majesty; you must also bring your ship.'

She noticed Louise and Saito. 'Crown Princess, Duke de Ornielle, Her Majesty also requested that if you are present, you both should accompany Monsieur Colbert.'

'Agnes, would you travel with us or on your own?' Colbert asked the head of Musketeers.

'Your ship is faster than my horse, so I'll accompany you.'

'Then let's not waste any more time. _Ostland_ can depart in one hour.'

…

Viktor Galvanov, with Matilda by his side, stood in the main hangar. There was only one plane inside – the white Beriev Altair amphibian, the same that carried Saito and other captives from Japanese coast; several technicians slowly worked on it. They went past and approached gates that led to the surface elevator.

Professor waved his hand at several crates and devices that were lying nearby on the floor. 'This is a mobile version of the Warlock – it doesn't need such amount of power as original, but it can cast only one spell – World Door, in this case. It was designed to be vehicle-mounted – using it, the said vehicle can get to Halkeginia, and more importantly, it can come back at any time.'

'And what is this vehicle you're talking about – this?' Matilda pointed at Altair.

'No. This is a beautiful plane, but it is too fast – and Warlock must remain stationary during casting. I've made a purchase through my Navy friends – it should be delivered at any moment now.'

Radioman's voice came from intercom. 'Professor, the Sea Serpent has just arrived.'

Galvanov keyed his radio. 'Bring it down then.'

Matilda raised her brows. 'Sea serpent?'

Russian just smiled. 'Watch and see.'

With a loud hum of machinery, large twin gates parted, revealing the shaft; several seconds later, the elevator arrived, bringing down the most unusual dragon that Matilda ever saw in her life.

Its blue-colored egg-shaped body sported several doors and windows, mostly grouped on the front; small tail with two large vertical fins, resembling that of a fish, was attached to its back. On its sides were stubby wings, with barrel-like cylinders hung under them. Most striking features, however, were six blades, grouped by three, that were attached on top. She recalled the Dragon Raiment that Saito used against Reconquista; it had a similar mechanism on its front.

Professor looked with interest at his new possession – Kamov Ka-29 Helix helicopter gunship. Designed as naval counterpart to the famous Hind, it sported the same features – weapons coupled with troop bay – in a more compact package. It also had Kamov's trademark coaxial rotors – which gave it excellent maneuverability.

He turned to Matilda. 'This, my dear, is your ride to Halkeginia.'

Green-haired thief glared at the Helix. 'What? Are you seriously expecting me to get INSIDE this thing?'

Meanwhile, two men in blue coveralls and white helmets climbed out from the helicopter.

'Relax, cutie – Ka-29 is perfectly safe bird to fly on!' said one of them. 'Although, it could be a bit loud inside.'

'Especially when someone goes in the cockpit to complain about Misha's piloting,' grinned another.

'Shut up, Marat, and help me to install all that stuff.' Misha rebuked and waved for technicians to roll helicopter into the hangar.

Matilda just sighed. That would be an interesting partnership…

* * *

_Author's notes: You'll see that bird in action very soon._


	7. Chapter 6 - The Mission

**CHAPTER 6 – THE MISSION  
**

* * *

As _Ostland_ raced across the sky, Louise and Saito questioned Colbert on the current Halkeginian affairs. Guiche and Montmorency were also present – Professor couldn't refuse them to get along for the trip.

Gallia was still in the process of transition – young Queen Charlotte was still a novice in state affairs, but she learned fast; the demarcation treaty with Germania, which ended the century-old border dispute, was one of her first achievements.

Romalia, on the other hand, was amidst chaos – with Pope's death, a bitter struggle for power started among Cardinals. They managed to assemble the Conclave to elect the new Saint Aegis – but now several groups fought in support of their candidates, and there was no end of it in foreseeable future. At least, they managed to assemble a joint task force from Tristainian, Gallian and Romalian navies to aid razed Aquileia.

Having lost Joseph and his support, the Reconquista quickly succumbed; Albion has fallen out of continental powers' focus and was left to itself. Eventually, after several months of unrest, one of the most prominent noble families, the Stuarts, rose to power, placing a new king – Charles – on the throne.

Tristain itself enjoyed the peace – with no immediate threats from other powers, little country and its young Queen could focus on internal affairs. Gallia agreed to provide a long-term loan to counter the lack of funds in state treasury in exchange for trade preferences – another success of Charlotte's diplomacy.

There was almost no news from Elves; Bidashal's fleet quickly went back to Nephtys after the battle, avoiding any involvement with humans and their affairs.

Saito leaned over the rails and stared into the distance. How long would peace last, he thought.

…

Several hours later, _Ostland_ touched down near the Tristainian Royal Palace. A small crowd was there to meet them – girls from Musketeer Corps, some of Queen's entourage and Navy dock workers sent there to help with the ship.

'Jean! My dear, what are you doing here?'

Louise giggled as she saw the familiar red mane amidst the crowd – Kirche von Zerbst, once her bitter rival, later turned into best friend; apparently, the buxom Germanian noble did not leave her attempts to make a move at Colbert.

As the workers set up the gangway, Kirche was first to board Ostland; she threw herself on the object of her adoration.

'My dear, I missed you so hard!'

Colbert blushed in embarrassment, trying to free himself from her grasp. 'Miss Zerbst, I…'

Redhead tilted her head. 'Jean, Jean, Jean… How many times I must repeat myself – call me Kirche! Or even better – the Flame!' She then noticed Louise and Saito. 'Hi there! How's young family doing?'

'We're alright… mostly.' Saito answered.

Agnes stepped forward. 'Miss Zerbst, please let go of Monsieur Colbert. He is called by Her Majesty.'

Kirche sighed heavily. 'Why is it always so…?'

…

Henrietta, Queen of Tristain, shone with joy when she saw Louise and Saito in her throneroom; but her large blue eyes filled with concern when they told their story.

'Your Majesty, I regret to tell you that I… I… I lost the Founder's Prayer Book to this man. I promise you that I will undertake anything to bring it back!' Louise said as she kneeled before Queen.

'Louise, we have already talked about this!' Saito exclaimed. 'I won't let you risk your life!'

'Louise Francoise, I forbid you to make any attempts to return the Prayer Book.' Henrietta said sternly. 'Saito is absolutely right – this Galvanov is too dangerous, and I do not wish that Crown Princess and my best friend put herself in such danger.'

Louise raised her brows. 'But Your Majesty…'

Queen took her by her hands. 'Louise, please. Your stubbornness won't do you any good this time. This is just an old book, and it's not worth risking your life to get it back.'

Louise smiled weakly and nodded; Saito and Colbert both exhaled with relief – Louise was devoted to the young monarch and would not dare to disobey her.

'I will send Cardinal Mazarin and my court mages in the archives to conduct research. I'll also send messengers to Romalia – although I doubt that Conclave would do anything without Pope. Hmm…'

'Wait…' she lost in thought for a second. 'There is one tale that my father told me before his death. I'm not sure if this is relevant somehow, but listen.'

'As you know, my ancestor, founder of Tristain, was the eldest son of Brimir; he inherited a large collection of things that were related to the Founder. Many items, like Mirror, ended up in Romalia or other countries; others, like Prayer Book, remained in our possession. He also tried to document his father's life, writing about His various exploits – centuries later, his accounts helped to form many books.'

'One of his stories tells that one day, when Brimir was young, He had a vision about an artefact of immense power that lay long forgotten in the ruins of ancient Elven city. He decided to find this city and reclaim the artefact. For many days He wandered in the desert; when He finally came back home, His family believed that he perished in the desert or was killed by the Elves.'

'Soon after His return, He began to demonstrate magic that was unheard of in his tribe – spells that could kill entire armies, open portals into another worlds, erase people's memories, and even bring dead back to life. In other words – the Void Magic. He never told anyone where He'd been and what He saw during His travels; when asked, He just answered that "the Desert gave me this gift".'

'In his late years, my ancestor became interested in the same artefact that Brimir sought. He became nervous and agitated, often disappearing for several days without any explanations. And one day, he did not come back; his wife and children searched for many days, but found nothing – he vanished without a trace, leaving behind all his possessions, including Ruby of Water.'

'You think that they found the black dust?' Saito asked her.

'I don't know. This is just an old story; and we don't have any means to prove if it's true, or that is somehow related to this "black dust". My ancestor's brothers, who founded Gallia and Albion, also wrote their accounts about Brimir – and they never said anything about some Elven artifact or His trip to the desert; in their versions, Founder could use Void magic since His childhood.

'I guess we should wait for your mages to do their job in the archives, then.' Saito said. 'Anyway, thank you for your help!'

Henrietta then turned to Colbert. 'Now, Professor, the reason I summoned you. Three weeks ago, Gallian and Tristainian mages went into Fire Dragon Mountains to search for Ancient Dragon's lair – and possible offspring. As they searched for the lair, they stumbled across small crevice; what was inside is the reason why I need your help.'

She took a piece of parchment from her table and gave it to Colbert. Saito and Louise leaned over to see; it was a crude drawing of a rectangle, with circled pentagram in the center; around it, were runic inscriptions.

'This was carved on a crevice's wall; nobody in the group could understand what it means.'

Professor adjusted his glasses and studied the drawing.

'Interesting… These are common runes, but inscription is completely meaningless.'

'This pentagram – it bears some resemblance to Academy's emblem!' Louise exclaimed, peeking over Professor's shoulder. 'Which means it could be something related to the Founder!'

Henrietta nodded. 'Exactly. That's why, Professor, I'd like to ask you to go there and examine it in detail.'

Colbert bowed. 'Of course, Your Majesty.'

Henrietta turned to the pair. 'I'd like you both to accompany Professor. If it has something to do with Void Magic, your help will be invaluable.'

Louise nodded. 'Yes, Your Majesty.'

'Oh, I almost forgot - they also found one other thing; Saito, I think that you'll be interested in it.'

Henrietta waved to one of her servants, who then produced a long object, wrapped in cloth; he then removed it, revealing a large greatsword. Saito's eyes went wide when he recognized it.

'Derfflinger? But… how? It broke into pieces so small that even a most skilled blacksmith could not forge them back!'

'Fortunately, all shards fell near, and dragon didn't scatter them further.' Henrietta answered. 'And you'll have to thank Bidashal for repairs; he was able to reconstruct it basically from the scratch.'

Saito took the sword in his left hand. The Gandalfr runes immediately started to glow, and Derf's voice sounded in his head.

'Hey partner, is that… that… me?'

'Looks like so! Want to hop back?'

'Well, I can try…'

The glow intensified for several seconds, going from light blue to bright white. Saito tried to think about Derf – that was the way to "talk" to him; the spirit sword didn't answer.

'Derf?' Saito asked aloud.

The clamp on sword's guard trembled slightly – and then familiar voice, accompanied by metallic clangs, filled the throne room.

'Whew, it's great to be in the flesh again, partner! I mean, in the steel!' Derflinger said.

'That's awesome! Thank you, Your Majesty!' Saito exclaimed.

Young Queen smiled. 'The day is almost over, so you'll depart tomorrow; I will order to prepare your rooms. And now, please follow me to the terrace – dinner is almost ready!'

…

**Grand Duchy of Guldenhorf, the next day**

Guldenhorf, a small, nominally independent duchy, lies in eastern Tristain, near Germanian border. Its capital city, Ostfriesland, was home to one of the tallest spires in entire Halkeginia – the Grand Cathedral of Guldenhorf; this famous landmark attracted thousands of pilgrims every year.

Short old man in white priest robes – the Archbishop of Guldenhorf – stood at the cathedral plaza, admiring the great building and its ornate façade. It was an important day – the Grand Duke himself, accompanied by his daughter, would arrive to participate in the mass.

Young nun ran to him. 'Your Grace, all is ready for Grand Duke's visit.'

Good, the Archbishop thought. The Grand Duke was one of the most devoted persons he'd knew; he would do anything to promote the faith – and would give a vast amount of money to aid the church and its acolytes.

His eyes caught something on Grand Cathedral's stairs – a human form; it was an old woman, dressed in dirty, ragged clothes – probably one of the many beggars who always sat at the cathedral entrance, trying to soften nobles' hearts and get a couple of gold coins.

As he walked closer, she turned her head to face him; her wrinkled face was covered with a grey cloth – only her green eyes were visible. Interesting, the Archbishop thought; these eyes suited to young, dauntless woman, not to an old beggar.

'What do you need here, woman?' the Archbishop asked. He was mildly surprised when old woman fell to her knees before him.

'Please, Your Grace, do not deny a humble pilgrim, who came from afar, to see the magnificent Grand Cathedral of Guldenhorf!'

'Sorry, but I can't allow that. His Highness would arrive shortly; no one can enter the cathedral while he's inside.'

'Please, Your Grace, it wouldn't take long!' the old woman begged. 'All my life I've wanted to see the Grand Cathedral! For years I've collected money for the trip here, and I must depart this evening…'

Archbishop sighed as he saw that the woman was on a brink of tears. Founder taught that His followers should be kind to others – and he was a kind man. 'All right, but you should do it fast. If Grand Duke sees you – he would expel you from his city and his country.'

Old woman nodded. 'Many thanks, Your Grace! It wouldn't take long, I promise!'

She quickly went inside; as Archbishop followed her, he saw that woman kneeled before Founder's statue, whispering a prayer. She then went to look around, gaping in amazement. No worries here – just an old commoner who just fulfilled her lifelong dream, he thought and smiled.

Having finished her tour, old woman came up to him, looking puzzled by something.

'Sorry to bother you again, Your Grace, but I've heard that this Cathedral has one of the books written by Founder himself in its possession. But I couldn't find it…'

'Well, it had, actually. You see, couple of years ago there was several thefts – high-profile ones, carried by a thief named Fouquet. Our Grand Duke feared that it would end stolen, so he ordered it to be moved into his residence – guarded by his army.'

She shook her head in disgust. 'To rob a sanctuary of faith – what a disgusting thought!'

'Indeed it is.' Archbishop nodded.

'Thank you again for your sympathy for the unfortunate commoner, Your Grace. Founder bless you!'

As she went outside, she stumbled over the steps; one of nuns helped her to stand up. Archbishop just shook his head ruefully.

Nobody noticed how woman quietly hid a stray lock of green hair.


	8. Chapter 7 - Flight Of The Intruder

**CHAPTER 7 – FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER**

* * *

**Grand Duke's manor, four hours later**

The summer residence of Guldenhorf rulers – large, two-story stone manor surrounded by the vast park – was built several centuries ago amongst the picturesque hills. This small island of tranquility in a few kilometers from capital might seem to be absolutely unguarded – but in reality, Grand Duke enjoyed twenty mage knights and over a hundred common guards which were stationed in barracks nearby; they could arrive at the manor in a matter of minutes.

With such defense perimeter, the manor itself was only lightly guarded. This evening, there were only six men, all commoners - two by two on each floor, and the final pair served as escort for Grand Duke's carriage.

It was pretty boring to be an indoor guard – patrol your designated floor once per hour and ensure that all is normal. Occasionally, two of them met in one of the rooms and chatted for a couple of minutes – it was the only entertainment available to them. At this moment, both second floor guards stood at the Duke's lounge.

'Hey Dieter, did you finished in the right wing?'

'Not yet, Hans – I still have to check Princess' rooms. You?'

'Mine's all right, but two of these fancy new torches burned out; I'll check them all over again before night shift – damn magic crap burn twice as fast as your normal, common, stick-rag-and-oil thing!'

Dieter smiled. 'You're right, but they do not smoke and looks nice.'

Hans shook his head. 'Nobles and their quirks… Speaking of which, when His Highness will return?'

'Pretty soon, I guess. Let's wrap it up and go grab something to chew.'

In a dim light, both of them failed to notice a black silhouette, crouched on one of the beams under the ceiling.

…

Matilda used approaching twilight as a cover to climb a tree that grew near the wall and jump onto the roof; she then quickly worked her way to the small attic window. Earlier, she dumped her "old beggar" disguise and changed into all-black suit with cape – a comfortable and durable piece of clothing, made for her by Galvanov's technicians; unlike her old cloak, it was designed not to betray its bearer by rustle of fabric.

And stealth was crucial on this mission.

She surveyed the hall below – a luxuriously decorated lounge that could accommodate most demanding noble guests; there was nobody inside at this time of day, except lone paunchy guard armed with a halberd who seemed to be performing his patrol routine. The entire room was dimly lit by only two torches, hanging in the center opposite of each other.

A quick flick of her wand – and one of them crumbled into fine dust, its flames quickly dying.

'Damn these things, always at the wrong time…' Hans grumbled and went to check the failed light source.

Matilda reached for her pocket and pulled out another gift from Galvanov – a small pistol-like weapon. It used compressed air to fire syringe-like needles, filled with sleeping potion; one shot could incapacitate a horse in two seconds, and the average man wouldn't even know what hit him – until he woke up with a terrible headache.

She aimed it on guard's upper neck that was left unprotected by his armor and pressed the trigger. Gun fired its little projectile with a quiet hiss; Hans felt like some insect had stung him. He tried to reach for it – but went limp and collapsed on the floor, his halberd making a loud clang as it landed beside.

Another short spell which quenched the second torch - and the lounge went completely dark. Matilda jumped to the floor and quickly crouched behind one of the tables.

Dieter was about to head downstairs and into the kitchen when he heard metallic sounds coming from the lounge. Must be just clumsy Hans who caught on something again, he thought with disdain; but it never hurts to check.

'What was that? Hans? Are you there?' he shouted as he went inside.

Another hissing discharge of the dart gun – and Dieter joined his comrade on the floor, sleeping soundly. Matilda managed to catch his halberd in midair; she then quietly put it on the floor and peeked out into corridor. It was devoid of guards, and only one torch fought with the dark; it quickly fell victim to her spell.

She recalled that her target – Grand Duke's library – was situated on the same floor, two doors to the right; in the past days of her life as Fouquet, Matilda planned to rob this place – and made a detailed floor plan. Just like old times, she smiled to herself as she came out of the lounge and quietly closed its doors behind her; nobody will check it until tomorrow – and by then, she will be long gone.

The library was protected by a line-class spell – daddy let his little girl to prove herself, she thought as she defused the trap with ease. It was empty and dark inside – in these hours, Grand Duke usually was on an evening promenade with his only daughter, Beatrice.

Matilda let her eyes to adjust to the darkness and started to search shelves; ledgers, treatises on magic, several poetry collections… She stopped to think for a moment; Grand Duke surely wouldn't keep such precious document in the plain sight – it had to be stored in a strongbox of some kind, just like this one on the table.

…

Small phaeton carriage, driven by two white horses with Guldenhorf coat of arms on their breastplates, slowly rolled on one of the park paths. Old bearded man, dressed in ornate uniforms – His Highness Leopold II, Grand Duke of Guldenhorf – held the reins; next to him sat a young blonde girl with long twin ponytails – his only child and heir, Princess Beatrice.

'So, I take it that you will be leaving for your school tomorrow?' old Duke asked.

'Yes, Daddy! I hadn't seen Tiffania in two months!' exclaimed young noble. 'She is my best friend there… oh, but I told you that already!'

You're telling me about it on average five times a day, Leopold thought and silently sighed. He was not against this friendship – but it would be much better as if "Tiffania" was a handsome young man from a wealthy noble family.

'Well, my dear, let's get back to the manor. It's late already.'

Beatrice nodded. 'As you say, Daddy. Can I drive?'

'Of course, my dear.'

…

Matilda had neither the time nor the inclination to pick the lock; instead, she let her favorite crumbling spell do the trick – and stared at the object that emerged from dust cloud. It was a crystal glass tube with pentagrams engraved on its sides; inside it, was a medium-sized paper scroll, turned yellow by the time.

The Founder's Essay on Languages, as Romalian Church called it. Considered one of the first scientific tractates in Halkeginia, it described old Halkeginian dialects – and it was essential for Matilda's work on translation of Prayer Book's hidden message.

She quickly took the tube and shoved it into her backpack; now, it was time for her to escape the premises. Retracing her way back was not an option – at night, the park was patrolled by dogs; she decided to use an escape plan that she devised three years ago.

Every morning, a cart loaded with fresh food and drinks arrived at the manor; every evening, the same cart went back, loaded with empty crates and barrels. She would hide in one of the barrels; smell from the leftovers would confuse the dogs, rendering her invisible to their noses. Once she is safe, she would knock down the driver and ride to the rendezvous point where the Helix would await. She wasn't worried that schedule could change in recent years; Leopold II was known as an extremely conservative person – he almost never changed his habits of everyday routine.

She glimpsed outside; the corridor was still dark and empty – everyone at the house thought that the guards are still patrolling the second floor. Usually, the cart was in stables; the quickest way there would be through side stairs, used by servants.

The second floor was devoid of life – servants were in kitchen, preparing supper, and the guards' night shift would begin in two hours. Matilda quickly ran down the stairs; the stables' entrance was open, quiet huffs and neighs made by several horses could be heard from inside. The cart stood in the far corner, half-loaded with various containers.

…

'Hans? Dieter? Where are you, guys?'

One of Duke's maids, Helga, stood at the second floor corridor, looking for the pair of guards. Her task was to replace magical torches – and to her dismay, she had to do it very often.

She reached for the corridor torch and was mildly surprised when she found a handful of fine dust on the floor under the holder. Must be something wrong with enchantment, she thought as she put a new one and lighted it.

The lounge door was closed, and no light was visible in the crack under it; Helga recalled that she personally replaced lounge's two torches just two hours ago – and they were supposed to burn at least for three hours. She angrily shook her head and went inside.

…

Two horses rode inside the stables, with guards on their backs; both quickly dismounted, tied their animals near the drinker and went towards the side stairs – and Matilda. As they approached, she noticed that they didn't wear any armor; they were dressed in bright camisoles and white trousers, and were armed with rapiers – Duke's Honor Guard.

'Well, our duties for today are over, so…'

Both guards jumped in surprise as loud female screams filled the manor.

'What was that?'

That's it for the stealth, she thought and reached for the dart gun.

First shot struck the unsuspecting guard in the chest; he tumbled on the floor, sleeping. Second guard turned onto the sound of falling body – and got a dart in his back; second later, he joined his dreaming companion.

Matilda cursed and frantically looked around. She needed to devise a backup plan – and fast. With a corner of her eye, she glimpsed a movement outside; she leaped over one of the drinkers, trying to hide.

Grand Duke's phaeton stopped in front of the stables; Leopold got out first and held out his hand to help his daughter. Originally, they wanted to stop at the main entrance, but Beatrice insisted on checking on her favorite steed first.

As they went inside, both nobles froze when they saw their escorts lying on the floor.

'What's going on he…' Beatrice started to exclaim; she didn't have time to finish the sentence.

Matilda leaped out from her hiding spot, small dagger in her hand; she grabbed girl by one of her ponytails and put the weapon to her back.

'One wrong move – and you won't live to see another day, Princess.'

Beatrice nodded erratically, her eyes full of terror.

'One hair falls from her head – and you're dead, thief!' Grand Duke shouted furiously.

Matilda just smirked in response. 'Step away from the carriage, Daddy.'

She pressed her dagger against Beatrice's back; girl shrieked in horror. The Grand Duke flinched in fear for his daughter's life.

'Now!'

Leopold took a few steps back, angrily looking at her.

'Now, Princess, get back into the cart and take reins. If you'll do everything right – I promise that you won't be harmed.'

Beatrice climbed to the seat; Matilda sat beside her. Girl looked back at her father, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

'Daddy, help me!'

'Don't worry, my dear. That wretched thief would never escape our knights.' he said, trying to reassure his daughter.

Matilda didn't even look at him. 'Get us out of here, Princess. Go for the eastern road. Maximum speed.'

Beatrice nodded and whipped the horses.

As the carriage rode away, Leopold ran outside and took out his wand; he then launched a fireball up into the air – a signal for his army to muster.

Minutes later, twenty men from his royal guard squadron rode through the park and right to him – the vanguard of his mage knights; he knew that messengers were already sent to alert dragon riders and the foot soldiers.

'Captain, my daughter was taken hostage by a thief; they went onto the eastern tract. Catch them as fast as you can. And do not dare to use magic – or you can harm my Beatrice!'

Knight spurred his horse and signaled his unit to follow.

…

The carriage raced at the top speed, bouncing on a rough road; Beatrice clung to the reins, trying not to fall. Matilda did not let her out of sight; sure, she thought, Beatrice was just a spoiled noble girl who was scared to death – but that didn't mean that she couldn't try something against her captor.

Sounds of many hoofs came behind; she turned and saw Duke's knights, twenty mages clad in heavy armor. Beatrice had to slow down before turning to avoid rollover – and due to this, the knights were gradually reducing the gap.

'Drive faster!'

'My daddy will catch you and boil you alive!' Beatrice answered in a trembling voice, trying not to cry again.

Matilda considered to summon earth golem – but quickly dropped this idea. She will have to keep golem in sight to control it; and while monster would deal with knights, reinforcements would surely come – including dragon riders.

The only option left was to call her own dragon.

'Watch the road.' Matilda said and produced a little black box with several buttons and a stick protruding from one of its ends.

'W-w-what is it? W-what are you doing?'

Green-haired woman just smiled to her hostage and pushed one of the buttons.

'_Sea Serpent, come in!_'

…

Ka-29 slowly flew over the hills, its blue sides gleaming in setting sun. Misha and Marat quietly admired the views; there was nobody to attempt to attack them – and they had all means to deal with anybody who was. Their sole passenger was somewhere inside the lush forest that was visible at the distance; she said that she would contact them when needed. Pilot checked the fuel gauge; there were enough for another three hours of flight.

Suddenly, Matilda's voice sounded in his headset. '_Sea Serpent, come in!_'

'_Wicked Witch, is that you? Come in, over._'

'_Sea Serpent, I'm out, but I'm chased by the royal guards! Can you do something with them?_'

Misha sighed; it was impossible to teach this woman how to maintain proper radio discipline. He quickly scanned their surroundings and noticed a narrow, unpaved tract that was snaking around hills; on it, he could see a small, rapidly moving dot – Matilda's carriage. Behind it was a large dust cloud – the medieval posse. The tract led to the bridge – a small wooden structure with a pair of central stone supports that was placed across the shallow rivulet. A plan started to form in his head.

'_Okay, there is a bridge ahead, go for it and try to increase the gap between you and them._'

'_You'd better think of something, and quick!_' Matilda yelped.

Misha pulled the cyclic stick back; Helix slowed down and went into hover in a kilometer away from the bridge. He then flipped several switches, activating weapons. Due to weight of the Warlock hardware, they had to remove S-8 rocket pods; all what left were eight AT-6 Spirals – supersonic radio-guided anti-tank missiles.

'Marat, aim at the bridge. Let our girl pass first, then blow it up.'

Gunner leaned to the gunsight. 'Yeah, I see it. Here's our witch…'

…

As Beatrice slowed down before turning, Matilda grabbed her by the shoulders.

'Well, it's time for us to part ways, Princess!'

She snatched the reins and pushed Beatrice off the carriage. Girl was lucky – she fell right into roadside bushes; couple of bruises and torn dress was all what she got.

With a heavy sway, Matilda's carriage cleared the last turn and darted to the bridge; several seconds later, its wheels rattled on the boardwalk. She heard a familiar sound of twin blades and whipped horses hard, keeping in mind Misha's words.

…

Using knobs on his control stick, Marat placed the target mark on the support column and put his finger on the trigger. '…And that would be her escort.'

…

The posse raced past Beatrice, who had just got out of the bush. Their captain, a young Wind mage, waved an order to three of his subordinates to help her; the rest continued their pursuit, no longer kept from using their magic.

'Guards, execute her!' Beatrice shouted as she ran out into the road; knights already rode on the bridge.

Unfamiliar sound drew her attention; she raised her head – and saw a small blue dot up in the sky. Suddenly, a faint white smoke trail separated from it.

…

'Firing!' Marat shouted as he pressed the trigger.

With a loud hiss, rocket motor activated; Spiral ejected from its tube and whooshed to the bridge. The strobe light on its tail started blinking rapidly, sending signals back to the helicopter. One kilometer was a point-blank distance for AT-6; the missile cleared it in a three seconds.

…

Captain slightly outpaced the rest of the knights – and already cleared the bridge when Spiral arrived. He raised his hand, urging his men to hurry – but it was too late for them.

The missile hit the central support; its five-kilogram warhead detonated, crushing heavy stones into fine rubble – designed to defeat modern tank armor, it went through sandstone like a hot knife through butter. The bridge swayed heavily from the blast; although the wooden deck protected knights from the fragments, couple of horses lost their footing and stumbled, throwing their riders off.

…

'Damn, these guys surely know how to build a good bridge.' Marat said as he slightly corrected his aim.

'Firing!'

Second Spiral went off in its first and last flight.

…

Losing one of its support columns, the bridge was now tilting to the left; long cracks rapidly developed alongside it. The knights tried their best to clear the bridge and not to fall down. All of them failed to notice the second AT-6.

It crashed into the bridge deck – right in the middle of the posse. Wooden and stone debris, mixed with maimed bodies, flew in all directions. Half of the knights along with their horses were killed instantly; the wounded, many of them with lost limbs, bleed profusely. But this was not the end.

Deafened by the first explosion, Beatrice gaped in horror as all what left of the bridge hurtled down into the river along with the dead and wounded, forming an ugly smoking dam; the rivulet went red from the knights' blood. There was no chance to save anyone – all wounded turned dead in the next couple of minutes, either from blood loss or by drowning.

Beatrice and survived knights raised their heads and watched in amazement as mysterious blue dragon, which just destroyed the bridge and killed some of the best Guldenhorf royal guards, flew above them with a loud thumping sound; it then banked right and went along the road.

Young captain was deeply saddened by loss – but he also was enraged by it; he spurred his horse and resumed pursuit. He vowed to avenge deaths of his men, and the only way to achieve it was to find the thief and her beast – and kill them both.

…

The road became worse on the other side of the rivulet – trees and bushes gave way to cliffs and rocks; Matilda slowed, granting some rest to the sweating horses.

Air Bolt spell hit the nearby rock, smashing it into pieces; she turned her head – and saw the captain as he cleared the turn, wand in his hand, spurring his steed as hard as he could. Second spell went behind the carriage, hitting the road and sending small stones around.

Matilda whipped her horses, trying to regain some speed; she smiled as she heard familiar twin blades coming closer.

…

Ka-29 flew around the cliff just in time to see the scene.

'Looks like our damsel are still in distress!'

Misha pressed on a rudder pedal, yawing right; the helicopter now flew sideways, its nose facing the cliff – an easy trick for Kamov helicopters. Marat grinned and reached for gun controls.

'Not for long.'

Hatch on the Helix nose moved down, revealing a four-barreled machine gun – the GShG, Soviet counterpart to the famous Minigun, capable of firing at six thousand rounds per minute. Marat took hold of the control handle and aimed at the knight.

'Bye-bye, sucker!'

With a loud buzz, GShG spat out a short burst of green tracers. In the same moment, captain launched Air Bolt into Helix.

He didn't have time to aim properly and the spell went wide, but Misha instinctively yanked the handle, causing Marat to miss. Bullets went in front of the target, raising small dust fountains and striking sparks from the stones.

'Fuck! Keep it steady!' Marat cursed and adjusted his gunsight.

Captain took aim at the helicopter.

But GShG's bullets were faster than his chant.

The burst hit unfortunate knight all across the chest. 7.62-mm slugs pierced his armor with ease, splattering blood all around. Several shots hit his horse; it stumbled and fell on the ground, jolting in agony. Captain's dead body, still clutching the reins, crashed beside.

Matilda looked back just in time to see captain's demise; she shuddered at the sight of weapon's sheer power. Her radio cackled and came to life.

'_Wicked Witch, this is Sea Serpent, you're all clear, I repeat, you're all clear._'

'_Thanks._'

'_I see a small opening ahead, proceed there for extraction._'

…

Ten minutes later, Matilda sat in Helix cargo bay, working on the Warlock. The portable version was far easier to operate than its big counterpart; all that was needed to return to Earth was to push the return button – the device was pre-programmed with coordinated of Galvanov's base.

She signaled for the cockpit. 'Stop the machine.'

Marat frowned. 'It hovers, damn it, not stops!'

'Whatever'.

Warlock probe was mounted on the port wing, in place of rocket pod; as Matilda pressed the button, bright flash formed on its end – and the World Door opened in twenty meters in front of the helicopter. Misha smiled as he saw familiar Kamchatka shoreline, washed by Sea of Okhotsk.

…

Half an hour later, hills that surrounded Grand Duke's manor were full of life – nobles and commoners together frantically searched for the daredevil woman who dared to rob their ruler and kidnap their young princess. Luftpanzers of Guldenhorf, one of the best dragon riders in all Halkeginia, coordinated their efforts from above. Search continued for three days – but ultimately proved useless.

The Sea Serpent of Guldenhorf, as Beatrice called the Helix, vanished without a trace.

* * *

_Author's notes: Who needs an earth golem when you have a helicopter gunship?_


	9. Chapter 8 - Secrets Of The Dark Past

**CHAPTER 8 – SECRETS OF THE DARK PAST**

* * *

**Western Kamchatka**

Matilda sat down in one of the labs, surrounded by various papers. The Founder's Prayer Book was lying open under an ultraviolet lamp; ancient symbols, otherwise invisible, glowed on its pages. She rubbed her sore eyes; ten hours ago, she had returned from Halkeginia with her prize, and since then, she sat here, working on the translation.

The Founder was indeed a genius, she thought. Hide a message in such way – even Romalian spies weren't smart enough for this. Moreover, it was coded – it was written in Elven using the rare form of Eastern Halkeginian glyph alphabet; anyone who wanted to read it had to perfectly know both. That was the sole reason for that daring heist – the Essay on Languages was the only source of knowledge about languages that were spoken in Brimir's times.

'Any results?'

Matilda turned on Galvanov's voice. The Russian has just entered the lab, accompanied by Kruger.

'Yes, I've almost done. Looks like a confession, or the last will.'

'Interesting.' Professor said as both men sat down at the free chairs. 'Let's hear it, then.'

…

Hymir, my beloved eldest son. If you're reading this, it means that I am most likely dead – slain by the hands of the Elven army. But I do not want you to mourn me – because I do not deserve such an honor.

All my life I lied to the others – about our goals, about our future, about our fate. But most importantly, I lied about the source of my power – the Void magic.

I never told this story to anyone, even to my beloved wife and sons. It happened ten years before your birth, when I was young.

One summer day, a small traveling circus came to our village – several acrobats, clowns and beast masters who were happy to show their art to anyone willing to pay. Among them was a decrepit old man, who was accompanied by an equally old wind dragon; together, they did various aerial tricks or just took children for a ride. Sadly, but I don't remember his name; but I recall that everyone called him "Grandpa".

He was a seasoned traveler, who visited many places and knew many fascinating stories; in the evening, all villagers – young and old – came to the tavern to listen to his stories. Several children quickly surrounded him.

'Grandpa, tell us a tale! Tell us a tale!'

'Very well, kids. Hear the ancient legend of Elven people – the tale of Gomorrah, the Forsaken City.'

* * *

Once upon a time, when Men didn't live on these plains, there was an Elf by the name of Azrael. He was born in a little tribe of miners – a fair people who make their living by digging into the mountains every day, searching for precious gems.

One day, when young Azrael was digging a new shaft, he stumbled upon a very strange rock – a large boulder in size of human head. It was all-black, as if charred in a great fire; it was light, as if made of paper; and it was warm, as if heated in oven. This stone must worth something, Azrael thought and went back to the surface.

When he walked to the exit, he noticed that his newly-acquired stone started to glow, and suddenly he heard a voice in his head. It said: "Dig here!" All of it was very strange, but young Elf complied – and was rewarded for his obedience: he found a rich ruby deposit – one that could give income for several years. Delighted, Azrael decided that this rock was sent by Gods to aid him in his work; in his house, he built a small altar and placed it there.

In the following months, Azrael became the most successful prospector in the tribe. With black stone's aid, he could find a rich deposit even in places that were deemed as empty by the other miners. Eventually, he became so famous that the tribe declared him as a new king.

Under his rule, little tribe flourished. They invited many skilled craftsmen – cutters and jewelers – to live among them and make their gems into the finest trinkets; they opened many new trade routes – other Elven chieftains, especially the female ones, were all too happy to have one of their famous jewelries in their possession.

But in several years after Azrael's coronation, troubles came upon their heads – their mines ran dry of gems. They tried to dig up many new shafts – but they found nothing. They offered countless prayers and gifts to their Gods, seeking their help – but all was in vain. They decided to ask other tribes for help – but they declined, as they were more interested in their treasures, not their lives. It was like the Gods themselves decided to punish them for their sins.

Then on a moonless night, Azrael heard the voice of the stone in his dream. It said: "Go far to the East, and in the very center of Great Desert, you will find salvation." The next morning, he gathered his tribe and told them about his vision. Although they were afraid of journey, people quickly agreed to follow him – they trusted their young leader.

Indeed, it was a long and dangerous trek. For many weeks, they were going to the East. The Great Desert was merciless to the travelers; many fair Elves perished due to drought, immense heat and fierce animals. Azrael began to think that black stone tricked him – but one morning, a small mountain range appeared on the horizon.

They almost ran out of water, so Azrael decided to explore the ridge in search of streams. When they went closer, they noticed a narrow pass that ran between mountains. Elves followed it for several hours – and when they emerged, they were astounded by what they saw.

Beautiful forest valley, hidden among the tall peaks, lied before them. A large lake, filled with crystal water, was situated in its center. Various game animals roamed the forest, not afraid of them; and the lake was full of delicious fish. They went to explore the mountains – and soon found vast deposits of gold, silver and gems. Azrael and his people cried in joy as they realized that they finally found the land promised to them by black stone.

There was an island in the middle of the lake, devoid of any trees; there, they decided to build their new home. Soon, a beautiful city grew, its houses made from finest stone, with rooms decorated with gems. A magnificent castle stood in its center – Azrael's palace; its many spires, coated with gold, rose high up in the sky. Elves decided to name their city Gomorrah – which means "Deep valley"

After many years of happy and carefree life, they started to wonder about the future. Should they send messengers to the other tribes back in the West, or should they keep their new home and its treasures for themselves? And what if one of the warrior tribes discovers their promised land? They were miners, not soldiers – all weapons they ever had were bows used for hunting.

In the meantime, Azrael began to change. His face, once young, quickly developed wrinkles like that of old man. His mood, once light and cheerful, was now wary and distrustful. He began to spend more and more time in the hall where he built a new altar for his black stone – large and ornate, made from pure gold. With him, were his ten most loyal servants – these became known as Priests of the Stone.

They began to experiment on the black stone by using various spells and potions on it; for the first time, it remained silent, but eventually Azrael and his Priests were able learn its most dark secrets – spells that could change the world. They could create explosions of great power. They could make anyone forget what they were doing in minutes before. They could create portals that connected to places separated by many leagues.

One day, several men came to the palace and asked for audience; when their request had been granted, their leader stood forward and said: 'My King! We humbly ask for your advice and guidance: should our beautiful city remain unknown to our brothers back in the West, or should we reveal it and its vast riches to the outside world?'

Azrael stood up from his throne. 'My fellow Elves! You're asking me – should we make contact with outside world? I say – yes! But not in the fashion some of you proposing. You would like to share our wealth with them? A noble goal. But don't you remember how we were shunned upon when we came to them asking for help? Don't you remember how Queens, the same Queens who admired our craft, threatened us with force? I say – we shall contact them, but we shall not offer our riches – we shall offer our wrath!'

And so it was begun. Once peaceful miners, the people of Gomorrah trained day and night to become fierce fighters. Blacksmiths abandoned rings, necklaces and diadems in favor of swords, spears and shields. Dressmakers used leather to make light and durable armor. Soon, the Army of Gomorrah was ready to march.

As the army gathered in front of the palace, Azrael, flanked by his Priests, went out. They were clad in pitch-black robes, enforced by armored breastplates; each carried a special staff – shards of black stone were embedded in it, allowing them to use its powerful magic. The King looked upon his army and said:

'The time has come, my fellow Elves! Go – and strike fear into the hearts of our enemies!'

By using the magic of the black stone, Azrael opened a great portal that led back to the West, right to the one of ancient Elven cities. Then, he and his army stepped through – and appeared right before city walls. The King and his Priests raised their staves and chanted a spell that was unknown to anyone except them; bright light burst from the black shards – and the walls exploded in a thousand tiny fragments, like made from glass.

Then the army of Gomorrah raised their weapons – and went into the city, crushing anyone who dared to stay on their way. Driven by primal fury, they broke into the palace and captured the young Queen; they brought her before Azrael, who, after many taunts, just executed her.

Many cities and villages were raided by Azrael and his army. Those who didn't offered any resistance, were enslaved and taken back to Gomorrah, to work in the mines. Those who did – were mercilessly slain, up to the last man, woman and child. In the West, he became known as Black Scourge.

But not all of Black King's subjects favored his ways. Elves always were peaceful and passionate – and they didn't want to slay their own brethren in the name of ancient grudges. Many residents of Gomorrah tried to help those who were enslaved; they brought them food and clothes, offered shelter and helped to escape.

They were well aware that they had no chance in the battle against Azrael and his army; the King could easily crush them with one great explosion spell. There were several mages among those who was taken from the West; for many days they deliberated in a secret place, well hidden in the mines, and came up with a plan.

'We will not fight,' the mages said. 'We will just go back to the West, to our homes. And to prevent the Black Scourge from ever coming back, we devised a special spell – the one which seal him and his Priests in this valley forever, and even their evil magic won't help them to escape.'

And so they began to prepare for their escape – or the Exodus, as they called it. In secrecy, they collected supplies – water and food; they prepared many wagons and carts, hidden in the mines. More and more people wished to join them; even some soldiers from Azrael's army wanted to escape their master.

Finally, one moonless night, the Exodus started. The Elves were well prepared – it took just a few minutes for them to get dressed, take their provisions and leave their houses. From every street, small streams of people flocked to form a large crowd. All was done in complete silence – even babies didn't dare to cry on that fateful night, as if they feared that the Black King could hear them.

As Elves crossed the bridge that led from the island to the mainland, they saw a large group that stood before them, blocking the road. Their hearts sank: it was the army, clearly sent to turn them back. Several officers came forward; they unsheathed their blades – and did the most wondrous thing: all as one, they threw their weapons down in the river and spoke to the old mages.

'Enough is enough. We gave the oath to the King – but we refuse to turn our swords against our own people, and our soldiers support us. Please, allow us to join you in your journey.'

Greybeards nodded their heads in agreement: they were well aware of a grim fate that awaited those who dared to betray Azrael.

Soon, they came to the narrow mountain pass, through which they once came here, in their Promised Land, now turned into Hell. As the last Elf came through, the mages stood in a circle and started a long chant.

As they finished, bright thunderbolts struck the mountain tops, and gusting winds raised a cloud of dust. It was the Spell of Sealing, an ancient Elven incantation that only few elders knew. It was meant to prevent anyone who was tainted by the magic of the black stone from leaving the valley. The great thunderstorm raged for several minutes, and then finally came to an end; for the first time in months the old men smiled, as they were finally free.

But it was still too early to rejoice: a long and dangerous trip under the scorching sun lied ahead. Surprisingly, but no one died during the travel; it was like the Gods themselves guided their wayward flock on its way home. Finally, after the several long weeks, exhausted travelers saw their ancient homeland again.

Here, they parted their ways. Some went to rebuild their cities, destroyed by the Black King; others, who didn't want to return to the places of great grief, went to settle in the land in the North called Nephtys. Nobody ever heard from Azrael the Black King again, or saw him; the Spell of Sealing did its job. But Elves would never forget him and his deadly magic, as nothing has done more harm to them.

Since then, many treasure hunters, Elves and Men alike, tried to find the legendary Forsaken City and claim its riches for themselves. Many went out to the Great Desert – but no one came back. Some say that desert took them; and some believe that the Black Scourge and his Priests still wander streets of Gomorrah, guarding its treasures and looking for a way out of their prison; and anyone who dares to enter their city would find only death by their hands.

* * *

Most of the villagers quickly forgot the tale – but not me. I was absorbed by it. For many nights I dreamed of Gomorrah and its treasures; but the black stone was the thing that I truly wanted in my possession. Azrael was too weak-willed to wield such power, I thought; he wanted to avenge the humiliation – and it clouded his judgments, turning him into bloodthirsty tyrant. But what if the stone ended up in the hands of someone else? A good-hearted, passionate man who would use its power in the name of good, helping people instead of enslaving them?

Soon, I simply couldn't think of anything except the black stone; I had to see it, to feel its power. My desire to find the Forsaken City was so strong that one day I gave up. I put together some supplies, wished good luck to my family, mounted my horse and hit the road.

For many weeks, I wandered through desert. My horse soon died due to drought and starvation – so I continued on foot. I ran out of food – so I began to dig in search of edible roots. Finally, I ran out of water – and only then I've realized that my fate would be the same as that of many treasure hunters: slow and painful death. Finally, on my second day without water, I've lost my consciousness and collapsed to the hot sand.

The next thing I remember was a sound of splashing waves. I slowly opened my eyes; my head was aching heavily and my mouth was dry from thirst, but I was alive. My only wish at that time was to get some water; not noticing anything, I crawled to the sounds of water. I found that it was just in a few meters – and believe me, it was the most delicious drink which I have ever tasted. All my possessions – pouch and several empty flasks – lied beside me; I picked them up and refilled them.

With my thirst quenched, I stood up and looked around. I was on a shore of a large lake, covered by light morning haze; dense forest grew just in a few meters from shoreline. Interestingly, there was no sound except waves and my own breath; it was like all living creatures suddenly died or ran away.

I turned around to look at the lake – and the most striking view opened before me. The haze dissipated – and revealed an island in the middle; on it, I saw an ancient city, made from white stone. Four golden spires towered over it, shimmering in the sunlight. It was a tale that came true.

I have fulfilled my dream. I found Gomorrah.

'Hello! Is somebody here?' I called; there was no answer. I looked around; there were no footprints on the sand except my own. Who or what brought me here was a mystery – and answer to it had to be inside the Forsaken City.

Near the place of my awakening was a stone bridge that led to the island; I went to cross it. The quality of its construction was truly remarkable – even after thousands of years of neglect, the bridge still not show any major damage from elements. Several minutes later, I've made my first steps inside Gomorrah.

The streets, wide and paved, were completely empty. Two-story houses with wooden roofs stood on both sides. The city, like the forest, was surrounded by silence – there were no children's cries or merchants' shouts. Even the wind did not disturb the ancient city.

Judging by the sun, it was about noon; I've decided to check inside one of the houses for some food. Door wasn't locked; inside, it was like any decent city house – wooden furniture, carpets on the floor, curtains and so on. Everything was covered with dust; it was clear that the house was abandoned for a quite some time. Realizing that I won't find anything there, I went back outside.

For the next couple of hours, I wandered around the streets, occasionally going inside the houses. In one of the gardens, I found an old apple-tree; fruits helped to somewhat satisfy my hunger. In the desert, nights come quickly, so I've decided not to waste daytime and went to the main attraction – the palace.

Soon I came to the main plaza – a large open space situated in front of the palace. Two massive doors led inside; I stopped before them, lost in thoughts. What has awaited me inside? Untold riches? Or black stone of Azrael? Or maybe it was Azrael himself, luring me into a trap? You'll never know before you saw it, I told myself and pulled the handle.

The door slowly opened, creaking wildly. In the sunlight that came through dirty ceiling windows, I could see the main hall – and the big, ornate throne that stood at the other end. Apparently, Azrael didn't need the dedicated throne room – or maybe he simply wanted to be close to the common people.

I came closer. The throne, as everything in this city, was bleak and dusty; but I could clearly see that it was a marvelous piece – made from the finest gold and silver, and decorated with ornaments of gemstones. A well-worn staff, made from dark wood, lied on the throne; small black shard was attached on its end. My heart started to beat faster: it was one of the staves from legend – no doubt about it!

As soon as I touched the staff, I felt a slight breeze. Must be a draft from the main doors or one of the windows, I thought and held it closer to see the details.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind hit my face; I raised my hand to shield from all the dust that was raised by it. As the dust settled, I saw that the throne was enveloped in a thick cloud of black mist.

Chill went down my spine.

The mist started to form into a tall figure, sitting on the throne. Two bright red dots lit up on its head.

I screamed and ran.

I ran without looking back – through the plaza, back to the bridge; all I heard was demonic laughter that chased me through the streets. I crossed the bridge and went into the forest. I ran, stumbling over stones and roots, ran as far from this hellish place as I could. Soon, I saw a narrow path that led to the mountains – the sole exit from Gomorrah valley.

Finally, I felt dry hot wind – and the next moment I was standing on the edge of the Great Desert. Suddenly, I realized that I was still holding the staff; I thought of leaving it here, but then recalled Grandpa's tale: nobody tainted with black stone could leave the valley. I was holding its shard – does that mean I wasn't affected by it? Or I was deemed worthy by some unknown force?

I've decided to put that aside for now: a long return trip through the desert awaited me. After a week-long travel, I arrived to the outskirts of a small oasis with a circular lake in the center; I could see a several huts along the shore – a small Elven village. An Elf woman, a middle-aged buxom matron, washed clothes in the lake; I waved my hand as she noticed me.

'What brings you here, traveler?' she asked me.

'Well, I'm going to the Land of Men, to the South; it seems that I'm a little lost.' I answered and went closer. 'Can I get some water?'

'Of course…' she started, but cut short when she saw my staff.

'This… this… The Black Devil!' she cried and ran to the village center. 'The Black Devil came back!'

Several Elven men came out from the huts; couple of them started chanting, others went for their weapons. I put my hands in the air in attempt to show them my peaceful intentions.

'Please, stop! I'm a simple traveler! What is this "black devil" you're talking about?'

'Die, devil!' shouted one of the Elves and rushed to stab me with his spear.

I cannot explain what happened next – it was like a dream. I raised the staff and chanted a short spell – and its effects were spectacular. The village was instantly swallowed by bright white light; and when it went out, there was nothing except smoldering ruins – and dead, burned bodies. Men, women, even the kids – all were killed by one ancient spell.

I stared at the ruins, trembling with horror and guilt. I was a peaceful man, I never killed anyone before in my life – and in mere seconds, I've turned into a mass murderer. How could it happen? Why they attacked me like some criminal? But the most disturbing thing was the spell itself. I, like the most people in our village, knew elemental magic; but our spells was simple and mostly harmless. And how the hell I got to know it?

For the second time in this week, I simply ran away. I do not know what happened when others discovered the grim fate of a small oasis; maybe they decided that raiders or brigands did it. For many days and nights I've tried to forget the horror of taking so many innocent lives; but I will never forget the primal fear that I saw in the eyes of that Elven matron. The Black Devil – could it be that Elves are still remembered Azrael and his atrocities?

I've decided to remove the shard and destroy the staff. Several Elves lived in our village; if at least one of them recognizes it, this can lead to severe troubles both for me and my family. So I've placed the shard into a small pouch around my neck and burned the stick.

At first I wanted to dispose of the shard – just find some deep well or mineshaft and throw it out. But then, my curiosity got the better of me: what if I try to limit my contact with it? According to the legend, Azrael kept the black stone in the open, unwittingly exposing himself to its power; what if I put it into some strong, sealed vessel that could protect me? Some alchemists had such things in their possession, and they worked fine with elemental magic.

I've made the same mistake that Azrael made: I've started to research the shard, spending more and more time with it in my study. It did not respond to my spells or potions; but sometimes I was suddenly waking up in the middle of the night, with unknown voice in my head dictating me spells that I've never heard about. Eventually I made a small notebook – the one you're reading now – to write them. I've decided to call this magic "Void" – as my newfound powers came out of nowhere, out of some void.

When I've realized that even my short exposure to the shard was enough to corrupt me, it was too late. I've had the power of the Black King – but it came at a great cost. You know the story of my later life. I've always said that all the horrible things I've done were for the greater good; but it is not. Nothing can justify atrocities that I and my followers done to the Elves – some of them even worse that Azrael himself ever committed.

Now, I have only one request for you. I've sealed the shard inside the crystal ball – the one that I had in my study and gave to you along with the other magical items. You must find a way to destroy it. And I beg of you, my son, never, ever try to use it – this is a tool of evil, and it can produce only evil.

Destroy it, my son. Do not make the same mistake I've made.

…

'That's all. There is also a crude map of what appears to be Great Desert', Matilda said as she finished reading. 'But I cannot say for sure – I'll need to compare it with official maps from Royal Archives.'

Kruger smirked. 'Magic stones, ancient cities, dread ghosts… Sounds like the screenplay for the next Indiana Jones!'

'Don't be so hasty in your judgment, Hendrik. Sure, that might seem like a fairy tale – but his account on the black dust and its mechanism of action is surprisingly correct for someone who lived in a pre-medieval world.' Galvanov said. 'He did the right thing by trying to seal this shard; unfortunately, even a short exposure to pure black dust – and it was not just some residue, it was the meteorite itself! – can cause dire consequences.'

Matilda raised her brow. 'But what about Valliere and other contemporary Void users? They weren't in contact with it!'

'A problem, yes; but our information is limited. The Void condition may be a very rare hereditary trait; Valliere and other Void mages could be – and most likely are – the distant relatives of Brimir. Second, if I recall correctly, the magic abilities doesn't manifest themselves until adolescence, right?'

Matilda nodded. 'At the age of 14, usually; sometimes, it might be at 13 or 15.'

'Then we also cannot rule out the direct exposure – we don't know anything about their childhood; what if they each contacted with something that was somehow exposed to the black dust?'

Galvanov stood up from his chair. 'Anyway, it's time for us to make the next move. Hendrik, the freighter would arrive tomorrow, around the noon. In addition to usual supplies, there would be a special cargo; you'll see it for yourself. Place it into the main hangar and order the techs to assembly it.'

'And what do you plan for that move?' Matilda asked as security chief left the room.

'You said that you need access to Royal Archives, right?'

'Y-yes, but…'

Galvanov smiled thinly.

'I'll give it to you very soon.'

* * *

_Author's notes: Time for a history lesson._


	10. Chapter 9 - The Dead Mountains

**CHAPTER 9 – THE DEAD MOUNTAINS**

* * *

**Fire Dragon Mountains, near Gallian-Romalian border**

Having loaded the supplies for the expedition, _Ostland_ departed Tristainia and flew at full speed ever since. The large steam engine hummed down below, giving power to the three propellers that pushed _Ostland_ forward – allowing her to outrun any airship that used sails as method of propulsion. The coal, though, was a major drawback. Sail ships could fly indefinitely, limited only by supplies; but _Ostland_ required regular replenishment of her coal bunkers. Colbert did equip his creation with a small foldable mast, but it could provide only a crawling speed.

Colbert stood at the helm, guiding his ship to its destination – a small camp deep in the Fire Dragon Mountains; Kirche, who appointed herself executive officer, was by his side, giving orders through several bronze voice pipes and ogling her captain.

'Engine room, how's our fuel?'

The answer came in a second.

'Bunker one at sixty percent, bunker two at sixty-five percent, Ma'am!'

The redhead smiled to Colbert.

'Jean, I like it so much!' She reached for him and placed her head on his shoulder. 'Let's make another trip around the Halkeginia – after this mission! Only you and me…'

'Please, Kirche, I really need to pay attention to the gauges…'

'"Kirche"? Not "Miss Zerbst"? My dear Jean, we're making a progress here!'

Meanwhile, Saito and Louise stood at the balcony under the bridge, contemplating the views. From their place, they could see Guiche and Montmorency. Girl stood at the bow with her arms spread, enjoying the wind playing with her golden locks; Guiche held her by the waist, whispering something – probably love promises. Saito smirked at the sight of unwitting reproduction of the famous scene.

Louise's voice brought him out of thoughts.

'Hey, look! To our left!'

Saito turned his head in the direction she pointed; all he could see was a small dot in the sky. It increased in size, and soon they could see that it was a large blue-colored dragon with a lone passenger on its back. Despite the fact that _Ostland_ was flying at full speed, it quickly caught up with the ship.

'Hey, isn't that a Sylphid?' Saito exclaimed as he tried to make out the details. Colbert also noticed the new guest and gave an order to reduce speed.

Louise was already at the stairs; she waved her husband to follow. 'Come on!'

The dragon slowly flapped its wings, positioning itself over the ship and giving some time for the passengers and the crew to clear the area. Moments later, it landed on the front deck. Its rider jumped down and approached them – a small, bespectacled girl with short blue hairs, dressed in Academy of Magic uniform and wielding a large wooden staff.

'Tabitha, it's nice to see you!' Saito smiled – just to be forced down to the floor by his wife.

'Kneel down before Her Majesty, you idiot!'

The Queen of Gallia shook her head. 'Please, just Tabitha.'

'You want to keep a low profile?' Saito asked as he stood up.

'Yes.' The blue-haired girl nodded and patted Sylphid by the head; the dragon crouched, curled up – and, in a quick flash of light and smoke, turned into a smiling young girl with long blue hairs. Tabitha quickly gave her a cloak to conceal herself – as the dragon girl was completely naked.

'Hiya, folks!' Illococoo cried and went to hug them. 'We missed you so much – right, sis? Hey, where's dinner?'

'Downstairs. Change first.' Tabitha said as she passed a bundle of proper clothes to her familiar. Iloc wasted no time and quickly ran towards _Ostland_'s galley.

'Forgive me for asking, but what are you doing here? You're a Queen now, isn't you supposed to stay at the palace?' Louise asked as they walked to the bow to greet Guiche and Monmon.

Tabitha shrugged; Saito noticed a quick, sly smile.

'I took a vacation.'

…

Two hours later, Louise and other mages gathered at the bow to discuss some school stuff – magic lessons and so on. Saito could barely understand anything, so he gladly accepted Colbert's invitation to chat with him at the bridge.

'Saito, look what I made yesterday!' Professor pointed at the captain's chair. 'While _Ostland_ was loaded with supplies, I've took some fireworks, a piece of cloth – and voila, an ejection seat!'

Saito went closer to look at the contraption. There was two carton tubes strapped to its back; long handles were attached to them, serving as firing mechanism. On the top was a small bag with a large white cloth – the parachute. Several belts ran across the seat, intended to secure user.

'Um… Are you sure it's going to work, Sensei?' he asked Colbert in a slightly doubtful tone.

'Well, I certainly hope so. I intend to test it when we return to Tristain – with the mannequin first, of course; then, I would test it myself.' Professor answered. 'Although I've already installed them for the crew…'

As always, Professor was thinking ahead, Saito thought and smiled. He recalled one of their old conversations – Colbert was eager to see Saito's world; maybe Louise could give him that chance, he thought.

'It looks like that we arrived.' Professor gestured at the view below; Saito went to the window.

The Fire Dragon Mountains, once a great volcano system, drastically changed in the months following Ancient Dragon's emergence. The place was cooling down rapidly, as if the Dragon was the cause of its famous volcanism. The skies were clear of ash clouds, and there were no more lava flows – all had settled down, leaving only barren landscape. Small snow caps already started to form on the tallest peaks.

'Wow, that's a quick climate change, Sensei!' Saito said.

Colbert nodded. 'Indeed it is. Looks like the entire place was tainted by Ancient Dragon – and now, as he is no more, it reverts back to its original form. Some Gallian scholars even propose to rename the region.'

'And they probably should – Dead Mountains would suit just fine.' Kirche muttered as she walked in. 'This place was so magnificent – and all of a sudden it became so unwelcoming and scary…'

'I think I see the camp.' Colbert pointed at several white specks on the ground; as Ostland flew closer, Saito could see that they were actually small tents.

The redhead XO reached for the voice pipe.

'Attention all crew, prepare to land!'

…

Minutes later, _Ostland_ landed near the camp; Colbert and others were already at the gangway, waiting for the crew to lower it. They could see a small group that was there to meet them – a round, middle-aged man in a working attire, accompanied by two young mages. As Professor walked down, the Gallian noble stepped forward.

'Professor Colbert! I am Doctor Francois Du Pont, the head researcher of Her Majesty Charlotte's court. It is my pleasure to welcome you and your companions here. Please, follow me; I will show you our camp and our findings…'

His eyes went wide as he noticed a familiar figure in the group.

'Your majesty!' the leader of Gallian part of the expedition said as he kneeled down. 'We didn't expect you to be there.'

'Please, Monsieur Du Pont, continue your work.' Tabitha said quietly and sighed. It could be quite annoying to receive the royal honors everywhere you were going – especially if you wished to keep a low profile.

Du Pont nodded erratically. 'Of course, Your Majesty.'

He smiled as he saw Tabitha's familiar, who stood beside her master.

'Oh, Miss Illococoo! It's good that you're here. Due to my commitment to this expedition, we missed your dragon form's monthly exam; I would perform it later today.'

Dragon girl, on the other hand, wasn't so enthusiastic.

'Um… I… have… a task. Yes, a task that Big Sis gave me! I'll be quite busy for all day! In fact, I should start immediately! Goodbye!'

As Iloc darted back to Ostland, Saito leaned toward Tabitha.

'She is afraid of doctors?'

'Not doctors. Thermometers.'

'I don't understand – what's wrong with thermometer?'

The Queen of Gallia smirked.

'Guess where it goes.'

…

The camp was a several army tents, painted in white, that were placed around a small crevice; there also was a small makeshift berth nearby, currently unoccupied. Several Gallians, most of them young men in white uniforms – students of Royal Gallian University – went out to meet the newcomers.

Du Pont led them to the central tent. 'Come inside, please – we store all our findings there.'

The group came inside; there were several tables and crates, filled with various artifacts.

'Let me start with our main mission – that is, learning about the AD's origins.' Du Pont said.

'AD? What's AD?' Louise asked.

The Gallian researcher smiled.

'Oh, that's our little internal designation. AD stands for Ancient Dragon.'

Saito quietly took her hand in his. Louise nodded gratefully; she was on the verge of tears. How could this man so casually refer to thing that killed thousands of fine men?

'There were several fire dragon nests – most of them abandoned, but some still active.' He then gestured at one of the crates, filled with large eggshells. 'These are remains of dragon eggs, most of them recently hatched. No anomalies here.'

'And what about live specimens?' Colbert asked. 'Back then, dragons that came under control exhibited very unusual behavior – like they gone mad all of a sudden. After the battle, I've tried to find a carcass suitable for dissection – but they all were too damaged.'

'Unfortunately, I wasn't able to acquire an adult specimen. But…' Du Pont waved at one of the tables; a long object, covered with white cloth, lied on it.

'…Near the place of AD's emergence, we found several newly hatched dragonlings – all of them dead, but physically unharmed. And they helped us to shed some light on how AD was able to control its flock.'

He removed the cloth; under it, enclosed by crushed ice, laid a small, pink-colored dragonling. It was already dissected; its internal organs were removed and lay beside. Guiche winced at the sight and darted outside, murmuring something about need of a fresh air.

Saito raised a brow. 'You used ice to slow down decomposition? That's very clever, Doctor!'

'Amelie, one of my students and a wind mage, came up with the idea and kindly created this ice, so you should praise her, not me.' Du Pont smiled and took a small wooden pointer. 'Now come closer, please, so we can begin.'

'What have we here is a week-old fire dragon male, a species that are endemic to this region. Death occurred about six months ago, at the time of AD's emergence. You may notice that carcass is well-preserved – being magical creatures, dragons decompose way slower than common animals.'

He pointed at the organs.

'As you may see, heart, liver and kidneys are completely normal and presumed to be functioning at the time of death. There is a small amount of volcanic dust in the lungs – but that is present in all breathing life forms in this region. It does cause severe health problems, though; dragons that born here are expected to live for ten to fifteen years less than their counterparts from Northern Germania.'

'The stomach and intestines are empty – indicating that our specimen here didn't ate at least for two days before its death. Which is strange – dragons are well-known for their appetite, especially when young.'

'Excuse me, Monsieur, but what's this?' Monmon pointed at two large bubble-like organs.

'That, my young lady, is fire glands – these are responsible for producing flammable secretion that the dragon can breathe out. Be careful, please – they still contain some traces of it, and any improper handling can result in a fire or an explosion.'

Monmon hastily withdrew her hand; Du Pont smiled at her. 'Dragons are dangerous beasts – even after they died.'

'And that's why I prefer frogs.' girl whispered.

Doctor tapped at the sprawled wings.

'The muscles, especially those responsible for flight, are well-developed. You see, fire dragons are very bad parents – they lay eggs in some hot and dry place, and then forget about them. As the offspring hatches, they are forced to search for food – or face death by starvation. Very often they eat each other – and the strongest survives.'

'Stomach'. Tabitha voiced her thoughts, short as always.

'Yes, you said that the poor creature didn't eat before death – maybe it was killed by its brethren, or just starved?' Kirche was the one who translated Queen's word.

'That was my initial conclusion – until I got to the brain. I didn't remove it from the skull; if you allow me…'

Du Pont put on thin leather gloves and reached for small medical forceps that lay near the carcass. He then picked upper part of dragonling's head – and removed it with a short squishing sound, much to the girls' dismay.

'That's disgusting!' Louise squeaked.

'Forgive me, my lady, but medical science is rarely appealing. Anyway, look here.'

The reptile's brain was very different from that of a human; it could be described as several balls of various sizes that were strung on a thin, spiny bone. Some of the balls were of a light yellowish color, which, as Saito remembered, was a normal color for a brain matter; but the largest ball was deep red, as if soaked in blood.

'And that's what gave me a slight hint on AD's methods of control.' Du Pont said, pointing at the red ball. 'There was a major cerebral hemorrhage – which means, the blood vessels inside the brain ruptured. As the skull of any living creature is a completely sealed system, introducing even a small amount of blood inside would lead to increase of internal pressure, which in turn leads to disruption of brain functions – and, eventually, death.'

'It's very unlikely that a young, healthy being like that poor creature could suffer from a disease that mostly manifests in later life. But, it can happen if one's body is subjected to a very powerful magic. Remember the Battle of South Gotha, when Tristainian troops and Albionian civilians were brainwashed by the tainted water?'

Now it was Louise's turn to grab Saito's hand.

'I managed to get several bodies for an autopsy; their brain sported the same signs of a massive hemorrhage, while the rest of the body was healthy, barring current traumas. It is interesting to note that this magic seemed to actually care for the person it affected; they were able to perform some basic tasks to keep themselves alive – eat, drink, sleep. They were unable to perform complex tasks though – like tending wounds; some died of a blood loss or various injuries, many of them non-fatal if treated in time.'

'As I recall, some eventually recovered.' Monmon said.

'The amount of damage that brain receives usually depends on power and duration of the spell. In case of South Gotha, it was both factors: people drank the tainted water and got struck by magic. As there were no other major water sources, they continued to drink it, accumulating damage. Those soldiers who were subdued and evacuated did not receive another dosage; besides, they got a qualified help. Thus, the spell worn out, and they were able to recuperate.'

Monmon shuddered as she remembered how she was asked to lend her skills to help affected Tristainian soldiers. It was a quite unpleasant sight – several tents full of men with drooling mouths and burning eyes, strapped to the beds, muttering about Henrietta and their desire to kill her. Many did not make it, dying in agony; and most of those who managed to survive were deranged husks, doomed to live under the constant care. Only a handful of patients, most of them young and physically healthy, were able to fully recover.

'Now, let's get back to our little reptile. My theory is that upon its emergence, AD let out a spell – most likely, some form of Elven Ancient magic – that was designed to reach for all the dragons in immediate vicinity. Our dragonling had a bad luck to be near – and it got a charge that was too powerful for its young brain. Poor creature most likely was paralyzed on the spot; it died some time later due to excessive brain damage.'

'Mind Wipe.' Again, Tabitha was laconic.

'Are you referring to the spell that Tiffania Westwood used against AD's minions, Your Majesty? You see, being half-Elf, Miss Westwood have magic that is a mix between Elven Ancient magic and elemental magic that Men use. It looks like that it not only dispels any magic that affects the mind, but also heals the brain – at least, judging by the reports; I never saw it being used. A truly remarkable spell. Sadly, I was unable to contact Miss Westwood and invite her to take part in my research.'

I'm starting to really hate scientists, Saito thought.

'But let's move on to the purpose of your visit – our most mysterious finding.' Du Pont said as he covered the dragonling's remains and removed the gloves.

'It's in the crevice, right behind the camp. Initially, we settled to the north from here. About a week ago, one of my students stumbled upon it – and we've decided to relocate here. Come, I'll show you.'

'Excuse me, Monsieur Du Pont, but where is Romalian envoy? I've been told that this is a joint effort between two countries.' Colbert asked.

'Oh, Prince Borghese was called back – some urgent matters, as he told me. But he should be back shortly – today, actually.'

'Borghese?' Kirche asked, clearly puzzled. 'Is that the same… ?'

Young assistant's head appeared in the tent's doorway.

'Monsieur, the Romalians has returned!'

Du Pont nodded to him, and then gestured to the Tristainian group.

'Why don't we go outside and meet them?'

…

Having escaped from a vomit-inducing situation, Guiche decided to explore the camp.

First thing he noticed was a small young brunette with short hairs and big green eyes. She was struggling with a box filled with various magical hardware; it was sufficiently large to obstruct her field of view. One hesitant step, then another, girl's feet caught a small rock…

'My beautiful lady, let this noble knight lend you a helping hand!' Guiche exclaimed as he caught the falling box. 'Ow, it's heavy…'

Girl smiled. 'Many thanks, noble sir! Please, be careful – these are Monsieur Du Pont's instruments, they're very fragile!'

She guided him to the place near the central tent. 'Please, put it here.'

As Guiche obeyed, she looked at him. 'Thank you for your help, noble sir! I don't recognize you – have you arrived on that advanced ship?'

'Guiche de Gramont, Captain of Her Majesty Henrietta de Tristain's Undine Knights, at your service!' he bowed. 'And may I know the name of such beautiful lady?'

Young Gallian girl giggled and blushed. 'I'm Amelie.'

'To answer your question, Miss Amelie – yes, I have arrived on _Ostland_ to help you with anything that you may need. And may I say that I never expected to meet such beauuuUUUAAAIIIIIEEEEE!'

Amelie covered her mouth to hide a wide grin as she watched Guiche being dragged away by a tall, blonde girl dressed in Tristainian Academy of Magic uniform.

'Good luck, Sir Guiche!'

It was the tall blonde who answered.

'Believe me, he'll need it!'

…

Couple of minutes later, the group came up to the berth. Monmon scolded Guiche all the way, not letting the poor guy go; Louise even noted a couple of new expressions. But all the talks were cut short when they saw the ship that just arrived.

A beautiful yacht hovered up in the air, waiting for the mooring crew to secure her. It was a large two-masted schooner, with hull and sails painted in bright white color. Her railings, coated with gold, glittered in the sunlight. She was supported by four wings, each as long as the ship itself. Saito was surprised to see several gun ports at the sides; quite strange for a clearly non-military vessel to have armaments rivaling that of a cruiser, he thought.

'Kirche, that yacht – it's _Scire_, right?' Monmon asked, finally releasing her boyfriend from his humiliating position.

Redhead nodded. 'I wonder, what Golden Prince does here? Usually he doesn't leave Romalia.'

'Golden Prince?' Saito whispered to Guiche.

'Valerio Borghese. He's a banker and a man of fortune – the richest man in Romalia, and some sources says that he is the richest man in whole Halkeginia.' Guiche answered with disdain; it did not go unnoticed by Saito.

'I take it that you're not too fond of him?'

'Well, in commoner's terminology, he is a sleazy bastard. In noble's terminology, the same. Better part of Halkeginia owes him money, and he does not shy away of any ways to squeeze them out.'

'And why he is called the Prince? I thought Romalia is ruled by the Pope.'

'It is, but there are several noble families whose leaders call themselves princes. Of course, this is just an honorary title – except for Borghese; his influence rivals only that of the royal courts. Be very careful around him.'

It took about a minute for the crew to fold the wings and moor the ship; immediately, two sailors in Romalian uniforms proceed to lower the gangway. Seconds later, Saito saw the sole passenger disembarking – and it was one of the most unusual Halkeginians he ever met.

It was a tall man in his late thirties, with short combed hairs and thin moustaches. One of most striking features about him were his clothes; instead of lavish costumes with various mantles, plumes and frills so popular with Tristainian and Gallian nobles, he wore a relatively simple cream suit – not unlike that of Earth-made bespoke clothes popular among billionaires. Matching shoes and white shirt completed the look.

As he approached the group, Saito was able to discern his facial expression. It wasn't pompous or contemptuous, but it was filled with firm confidence. Although he put on a most sincere smile, his black eyes were ice-cold and calculating – and as they slid over Saito, he felt a light shivers.

Guiche was right – Valerio Borghese was a man who was worth the fear.

Borghese kneeled before Tabitha. 'Your Majesty Charlotte de Gallia, it is truly a pleasure to welcome you here. I am deeply sorry for such circumstances; if I had known about your visit, I would have prepared a meeting more befitting your status.'

'There is no need, Prince Valerio.'

He then went to Colbert.

'I take it that you're famous Professor Jean Colbert?' Golden Prince asked, shaking his hand.

'Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Valerio.'

'The pleasure is all mine, Professor. I hope our good Doctor didn't bore you too much with his grim pets?'

Colbert raised a brow. 'N-no, not at all.'

'Good. Du Pont, I see that our guests also brought supplies; ensure that they are unloaded and properly distributed.'

The Gallian doctor frowned. 'But I was about to show them the crevice…'

'It certainly can wait, Du Pont. Not that it could disappear all of a sudden, isn't it?'

Frustrated doctor, shaking his head, walked away; the Romalian turned to Tabitha.

'Your Majesty, I would be honored to invite you and your companions to dine aboard my ship. _Scire_'s salon is crewed by the finest chefs that can satisfy the most demanding taste.'

* * *

_Author's notes: Tabitha, Queen of one-liners._

_What I never liked in ZnT:F is its lack of details, especially in AD's arc (damn, I like that term!). What is it? How AD is able to control other dragons? Why is he likes Void mages as a light snack? So I've decided to address some of these questions, in a scientific way. Hope you like it!_

_Also, meet Valerio Borghese, the last of major OCs. Google if you want to learn about his name (they're not related, by the way – I've took only name); as for his personality, Guiche made a great description._


	11. Chapter 10 - The Cave

**CHAPTER 10 – THE CAVE**

_Author's notes: Some previous chapters were updated to sort out some possible plot holes or to extend some scenes (notably the car chase from Ch.2), so be sure to check them out!_

_Also, I've decided to add chapter names, hope you like it._

* * *

'What a beautiful ship, Prince Valerio!' Kirche exclaimed as she went up the gangway. 'Not as great as our _Ostland_, of course…' she added in a low voice, so only Colbert could hear.

'Indeed she is, Miss… Zerbst, right? _Scire_ was commissioned as my personal yacht – fast, comfortable and armed against any raiders who dare to attack it.' Borghese answered with a smile. 'Please, follow me to the salon.'

'Raiders? Are there pirates who attack airships?' Saito asked as Borghese led them to the wide superstructure between the masts.

'Not in this region, of course – it's well-guarded and patrolled. But there are many brigands, misfits and bandits at the outskirts of Halkeginia who could spoil the life of a fair traveler.'

'And you need such powerful weaponry just to deter them?'

'Deter? No. Destroy? Yes. As they say, the offense is the best defense!' Borghese chuckled. 'Why would I run when I can wipe them out in one blow?'

The group came to the double doors that were guarded by two sailors; as they opened the door to let Borghese and his guests inside, Kirche gasped in surprise.

'Is that… Jean, we seriously need to think about renovations!'

Inside, the yacht was even more lavish. The bulkheads were lined with fine mahogany; numerous paintings, obviously expensive, hung on them. Handmade rugs littered the deck. A large round wooden table, already set for lunch, stood in the center.

'It's somewhat strange to meet you there, Prince Valerio. Judging by importance of this expedition, I expected someone from Papal University, or Secret Archives.' Colbert said as they settled.

'One word, my dear Professor: Conclave!' Borghese answered with a slight disgust. 'In these days, cardinals and archbishops care for nothing except fighting for power. Nobody wants to step back and pull his candidate from elections. Mark my words, Professor: we won't see the new Saint Aegis anytime soon.'

Colbert just sadly nodded. Romalia was well-known for its lengthy and tedious political process; late Pope Vittorio's elections lasted for three months, and that was considered pretty fast. Many Church officials openly admitted that it was the most unappealing thing about Romalia, but they lacked power, willingness or both to do something about it.

'And to answer your question: I have a degree at the Papal University, and I'm not a cleric, so it was the obvious choice to send me here. Besides, this expedition serves as a nice place to hide from all the politics – the only irritating thing being Du Pont and his _experiments_.'

He then took a small golden bell; as he rang it, several waiters appeared, ready to serve.

…

They spent the next hour for lunch. Borghese was true to his words – Scire's chefs were masters of their art, although servings were of gourmet-size – clearly made to appease the guests, not to actually still their hunger.

'Monsieur Grammon, may I ask how is your father doing?' Prince asked Guiche as they finished with the food and waiters served the dessert – meringues accompanied by the semi-sweet Romalian wine.

'He's fine, thank you. But…'

'Good to hear that. You see, General didn't reply to my last letter to him, so I've been worried.'

'Well, he was overseeing military exercises, so your correspondence might not have reached him.' Guiche answered in an uneasy voice.

Borghese put on one of his polite smiles. 'I see.'

Judging by what Guiche told him about this man, these maneuvers clearly were not the cause, Saito thought.

'And you, Duke de Hiraga? I've heard that you decided to renovate De Ornielles, right?'

Saito nodded. 'Yes. Although, it is a slow process…'

'You don't have to worry, then. If there is a problem with funding, you can always come to me; I'm sure that we can work out a deal that will benefit us both.'

Thanks, but no thanks.

'No, money is not a problem. It was neglected for ten years, and it's hard to renovate, that's all.' he answered.

'Well, Duke, if you or your lovely wife ever decide to change your mind, it would be my pleasure to help you.'

'Thank you for the warm welcome, Prince Valerio, but shouldn't we go and see that mysterious find?' Colbert said. 'The sunset is soon, and I'm worried that we won't be able to study it properly.'

Borghese nodded. 'Of course. You may go ahead – I will join you in a minute.'

…

As they approached the crevice, they saw that Du Pont already was there; the podgy Gallian doctor was absorbed by some magical instruments – apparently, these were intended to aid research.

'Well, Professor, there it is! We here don't really know how to call this, so we refer to it simply as mural.' he said and pointed to the wall.

The drawing was strictly rectangular and stood at a man's height. Although weathered due to time and harsh climate, they could still make out the details. A pentagram was placed in its center – same drawing that could be seen in any place where mages practiced their art. On its edges, they could make out the writings – several words written with the runic script.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' Du Pont beamed with pride. 'I've ordered it to be cleaned – nothing like water, of course; Amelie just conjured a slight breeze to brush off the dust.'

'How old is it?' Louise asked. 'I recognize some of these runes – they were in Prayer Book.'

'It's very hard to determine its age – the Fire Dragon Mountains always were a secluded and dangerous region,' Du Pont answered. 'There are no records of past settlements or even research expeditions.'

Colbert leaned closer to examine the writings.

'Hmmm. These runes – some of them are still in use today; and, as you all know, it was Brimir who developed the runic alphabet, so we can definitely say that it was created after His death.'

'And we can definitely place it to first seven centuries.'

Colbert turned his head and saw Borghese, who just entered the crevice. Not wishing to ruin his expensive suit, Prince has changed his clothes to something resembling working overalls with numerous pockets.

'As you may or may not know, Pope Julius, Saint Aegis the Third, ordered a revision of Brimirian alphabet in Year 741, which led to advent of its modern version.' Prince said and produced a small notebook. 'Basically, he cut out some rarely used and outdated runes – and there are several of these at that painting; I wrote them and their meanings here.'

'Say, Professor, can you translate this inscription?' Louise asked Colbert, who studied the mural along with Borghese.

'I've already did it when we found it,' Borghese answered her. 'Either it's written in some long lost language, or it's just meaningless collections of runes. We can't make a single word from it.'

'Hmm… Derf, maybe you can make something of it?' Saito said as he unsheathed his sword and held it close to the mural.

'Sorry to disappoint you, partner, but these two are right – it's meaningless.' Derfflinger said; hearing that, Colbert sighed in frustration.

'Wait. I… I think I know what it is.' Monmon said; the group turned to her.

'If you want to cast a spell that affects wide area, but you wish to contain its effects, you need to draw a special mural that would hold it; there is a special potion for that. You just have to mix it with a suitable paint.'

The blonde girl pointed at the pentagram in the center.

'You aim your spell at the Pentagram of Elements, and its effects won't breach the mural's borders. But why place it here, in such desolate place, and on a vertical wall? And why is it rectangular? Usually you draw a circle, like an archery target.'

'Maybe some mages set up their camp in this crevice, and wished for some target practice?' Guiche joined. 'Hey, Kirche, fireballs can be contained in such fashion, right?'

The redhead Germanian thought for a second. 'Maybe… I never felt any need to contain my fireballs, actually – any decent fire mage can easily control its size.'

'It might be a crypt.' Tabitha voiced her opinion.

'But who would want to be buried here? And even if someone does, how they dug it?' Saito asked. 'It's solid rock – back in my world, we use explosives to break it up! But there is absolutely no damage.'

'Hey, partner, I just got an idea!' Derfflinger said.

'What's the idea?'

The sword went silent for several seconds.

'It might be a spell. You see, back in the old days, spells were long – so long, actually, that they were almost impossible to use in combat. Just look at your master – hers are perfect example. For every caster, there were five knights tasked with protecting him – otherwise, the poor man would be shred in seconds. Ah, the old days…'

'Can you determine its main element?' Monmon asked him.

'Earth, most likely – they always were the longest. Why, you want to try and cast it? You'll need a good Earth mage for that!'

Blonde's eyes flashed.

'And by a strange coincidence, Derf, we have one right here. Guiche, dear, can I have a word with you?'

…

'Wait a second. If I understand correctly, you want me to cast an absolutely unknown spell with unknown effects and unknown power. Allow me to ask just one small question: are you mad?!' Guiche almost shouted the last words.

'Come on, Bronze Guiche, don't be such a girl!' Monmon said with a wide grin. 'This might turn out to be something incredibly useful!'

Or it might turn all of us into toads, Guiche thought. Although, Monmon would certainly be pleased with such outcome.

'Useful or not, my answer is simple: no way. You see, it so happened that I value my life!'

'Suit yourself, then…' Monmon shrugged. 'But I wonder, what will first-years say when they learn about this adventure? Or, to be precise, about your part in it?' she grinned devilishly.

That was a low blow – the one that Guiche couldn't just shrug away.

'Founder, help me…' he sighed heavily. Alright, alright, you made your point. Prince Valerio, can you lend me that notebook of yours? I don't know meanings of some of these runes.'

As Borghese handed his writings, Guiche went close to the mural, produced his rose-shaped wand and started to chant.

'…Odal… Pertra… Eol…'

He quickly glanced back. Rest of the group converged near the exit; Colbert stood in front, with his staff in hand, ready to defend them from any threat.

How brave of you, folks. '…Naud…Sil…Eol…Sil…'

It took him almost a minute to finish.

'…As…Madr…Eol! And here goes nothing!'

As Guiche finished his spell, the mural started to glow – first the pentagram, then other symbols, and finally, the frame. In a few seconds, it turned into a rectangle made of pure light – and then it suddenly extinguished, leaving a dark passage.

'Incredible!' Du Pont shouted as the group went to congratulate him. 'Monsieur Gramont, you are truly a great mage!'

'T-tthanks… I think.'

'See? Even you can be useful!' Monmon patted him on the cheek.

Guiche just sighed in relief and wiped the sweat – but then he started to think. What if this mural can be copied, let's say, on a dormitory wall…?

'Guiche, please return Prince Valerio his journal. And if I'm correct in my assumptions about your current thoughts – and I'm always do…'

'Eek! My dear Montmorency, how could you come up with such idea? I would never use ancient and potentially dangerous spells to break into…'

She just shook her head. 'Hide that grin, two-timer. And come on already…'

…

'Incredible! Simply incredible!' Du Pont couldn't hide his excitement. 'This could be the most important discovery in the recent years!'

'So, what's next?' Saito asked as they converged around the newly-opened entrance. 'Should we go explore that cave?'

'Of course not. First, we should document all of that, and then send for more scholars.' Du Pont said didactically. 'It is obvious that our expedition is not ready for a proper exploration of ancient magic places. We can ruin it by just walking in there!'

'But Doctor Du Pont!' Louise protested. 'It could take months for them just to get ready! Saito, back me up there!'

'And it was you in the first time who called us here because of it.' Saito reminded him. 'And now you're going to deprive us from making this discovery? That sounds not fair to me!'

'I completely support the young Duke and his lovely wife – we should move ahead!' Borghese said in a joyful voice.

The Gallian doctor frowned. 'But...'

'Enough of your buts, Du Pont. As the head of this expedition, I say that the great discovery awaits us – and we shall make it today!' Borghese exclaimed.

'They are right, Doctor. Something – or someone – might eventually stride inside and ruin it.' Colbert said. 'We should get in and explore it as soon as possible.'

Borghese smiled. 'Onwards, then! Professor Colbert, Miss Zerbst, would you kindly provide us with some light?'

'But please, do not touch anything you find inside!' Du Pont shouted.

…

The passage was absolutely straight, floor and walls were smooth as silk – a clear sign that it was made by magic, Colbert told them. Soon, the passage went wide, and they entered a large cave, completely veiled in darkness.

'Professor, do you see anything?' Saito asked.

Colbert strained his eyes; he could make out several rectangular forms – clearly man-made.

'Looks like some long-abandoned dwelling. Let me add some light… Wow!'

What they saw in a gloomy light of Colbert's staff was indeed a dwelling. But it was not just abandoned – it was completely thrashed.

Several tables which once stood along the walls were now smashed to pieces. Everywhere lay fragments of cloth, paper and pottery, many of them jagged and burned. In the very center of the cave floor was a large circular hole that led somewhere downwards.

'What is this place? Looks like vault, or storage.' Kirche murmured as she eyed the room.

'Looks more like a study of some sorts.' Montmorency answered. 'See that stone bowl on the floor?' she pointed at the large circular object that lay near the hole. 'It's a magic-resistant vessel where you can mix potions and elixirs.'

'And that,' she pointed at several smashed pieces of glass, 'looks like the vials to hold them. Whoever owned this place, he was a very rich man – only high class institutions and court mages can afford such hardware.'

'Anyway, we can be sure that there was something very valuable inside,' Borghese said. 'Otherwise those who built this place wouldn't install such intricate door.'

'It seems that something made its way inside and ruined it.' Du Pont said in a gloomy voice and pointed at the hole. 'Probably one of fire dragonlings – these critters are known to be very good burrowers when they search for food.'

He hit the wall with his fist. 'Damn them! They've destroyed everything!'

Colbert patted him on the shoulder.

'Lighten up, Doctor! There are still many things intact!' he told Du Pont confidently.

Meanwhile, Louise went to explore another corner. Large curtain, torn and burned in several places, lay there; the girl grabbed one end and pulled it up, to see if there was anything underneath –

'KYAAH!'

Saito and Guiche were first to react; they darted to Louise, who was trembling with horror, eyes wide open.

'What happened?'

'T-t-th-here… u-u-under the t-tarp…' she answered and clung to Saito's arm.

'Probably nothing serious,' Guiche said as he went to lift the curtain. 'Some bugs or rats… Woah!' He practically jumped off as he saw what was underneath; he produced his rose-shaped wand and aimed it at the curtain.

Saito winced at the sight; his wife buried her face into his chest, not willing to look at the grim scene.

'I guess we've found the owner,' he said.

Tabitha was right – it was indeed a crypt.

…

Human corpse lay on the floor – or, more precisely, what's left of it. The body didn't decompose in dry air – instead, it mummified, perfectly capturing the final moments of life.

It was an old man with long hairs and equally long beard. What remained of his dress – it was a long robe with golden weaving – and the wand in his left hand indicated that he was a mage. His facial features were long ago unrecognizable – eyeballs and nose dried off, leaving empty sockets, and skin went brown, hiding away any distinctive marks; all what was left were his hairs.

But what were most striking in his appearance were traumas that he suffered before death.

His left leg was torn down at the knee, nowhere to be found; sharp bone, whitened with age, protruded from the stump. Part of his right arm was also missing; there were signs of bite near the elbow. Chest was burst open, with ribs scattered around; it was like some great predator rip it with his claws.

Colbert and others approached them; Monmon rolled her eyes as she noticed that Guiche was still aiming his rose at the corpse.

'Hey, Guiche!'

'Ah?' the blonde noble jumped at the sound of her voice.

'Do you see that he is dead for, like, several thousand years?'

'Y-yes, of course, my Montmorency!' Guiche forced a smile as he placed his wand back into the pocket. 'But caution will never hurt, right?'

Blonde girl just shook her head and went to join the others as they examined the mummy.

'What a horrible death…' Kirche shook her head.

'Do you have any idea who he was, Professor?' Saito asked.

'Judging by his attire, he was a mage – and, most likely, the owner of this place,' Colbert answered. 'As for his name, or his age – sadly, but we may never know that. At least not until we examine all the debris there.'

…

Meanwhile, Tabitha leaned toward the corpse. What got her attention was a large glass crystal that lay near its remaining arm; she took it and hid it in her pocket.

'Tabitha, what are you…' Saito started to exclaim; she quickly put her finger to her lips and nodded to Borghese, who was apparently checking his laces.

'Not a word.'

…

'Most probably, it was caused by a dragon,' Du Pont said as he approached them. 'What a grim fate. Maybe this man was conducting some experiments on local wildlife – I saw something that looks like cage over there.'

'As he opened it,' he continued, 'the creature attacked his captor, inflicting mortal wounds. Then it went to thrash the place in search of exit; unable to find one, it started to dig its way out, leaving that hole. It's just a theory, of course – we won't know that until proper study.'

…

As others were absorbed by the newfound corpse, Borghese crouched, pretending to check laces on his boot. But what truly attracted his attention was a small, yellowed parchment that lay near the ruined table. In a faint light of Colbert's staff, he could discern lines and writings – definitive features of a map. Making sure that no one is watching him, Prince quickly snatched it and put it in the pocket.

…

'Well, since we already disturbed that place,' Du Pont said as he threw a somewhat angry look at Louise, 'we should start to catalog all of these artifacts and then put them to a proper storage. But first, let's decide where to send them.'

'There is no doubt that these artifacts should be immediately send to Romalia.' Borghese told him. 'If we really have an ancient study here, there may be things that are related to the Church.'

'Maybe you're right, Prince Valerio, but as we are on Gallian land, it should be decided by the Queen of Gallia.' Du Pont said and turned to Tabitha. 'What will your decision be, Your Majesty?'

The short answer came out in a fraction of second.

'Tristain Academy of Magic.'

Du Pont barely managed to suppress a smile when he saw Borghese's face turning green.

'W-w-what? Are you…' the Romalian murmured as he tried to collect himself. 'But Your Majesty, the Papal University has the best facilities and the best specialists!'

'Professor Colbert is the best.' she answered.

Colbert couldn't help but boast.

'As you surely know, Prince Valerio, I was a member of a searching party that discovered the legendary Dragon Raiment – and moreover, I've restored it, and it took part in the War with Reconquista, piloted by Saito. And I think that qualify me enough to study these artifacts, don't you think?'

Borghese winced. 'As you wish…'

He bowed before Tabitha.

'…Your Majesty.' he said in a poisonous voice.

* * *

_Author's notes: Damn grave robbers!_


	12. Chapter 11 - AD

**CHAPTER 11 – A.D.**

* * *

**Western Kamchatka**

Hendrik Kruger stood at the pier and watched as MV _Jolly Mermaid_, an old tramp freighter that steamed under a Panamanian flag, was unloading her highly illegal and deadly cargo. She arrived several hours ago; her captain, an old wrinkled Tamil with unpronounceable name whom everyone onboard called simply Skipper, handed him the cargo manifest and ordered to check if everything was in order.

Earlier, they unloaded several crates of various weapons – assault rifles, shotguns, explosives, even several Igla MANPADS launchers. Next came the 2B14 Podnos mortar – a simple, rugged artillery piece found in every corner of the world, used by governments and rebels alike.

'Are you sure that you'll need all of this firepower?'

Kruger turned at the female voice and saw Matilda, who, after hours of paperwork, decided to take a quick stroll.

'Well, if Professor thinks that we'll need it – I'll agree with him. Besides, who doesn't want to wield things like one of these?' he laughed as he opened one of the crates. Inside were several long pipes painted in camouflage pattern.

Matilda raised her brows in surprise. 'Grenade launchers?'

'You know about such weapons?'

'Y-yes. I've had some… experience.' Matilda answered uneasily.

'Well, it's not your average, anti-tank type thing. It's Russian, like our boss down there – and Russians know how to make things that truly kick ass. Ever heard of RPO-M?'

'No.'

'Well, your average thing can cripple a tank. This baby,' Hendrik nodded at the crate, 'can level a building.'

Loud snarls in some Asian language filled the air as the captain guided the deck crane. They watched as the machine carefully set its load – a large 8x8 Kamaz truck with its body covered with camouflaged tarp – on the pier. Immediately, one of the dock workers jumped behind the wheel to drive it to the base.

Kruger hemmed as he ran through the cargo manifest. 'Strange… I don't see any truck here.'

Tamil captain's lips formed a toothless grin. 'Your boss pay – I deliver!'

'Hey Skipper, would you order the large crane over there?' one of the seamen waved impatiently. 'We'll need it to unload the plane and its weapons.'

Hendrik's eyes went wide.

'Unload WHAT?'

…

**Fire Dragon Mountains**

Fuming with rage, Borghese stormed through the yacht's deck and into his quarters. Several crewmembers whom he met were quick to steer clear of his way; they knew perfectly what Prince Valerio could do in anger.

'Pietro!' he shouted into the corridor.

Seconds later, a small bald man in monk attire – Borghese's personal assistant – entered the quarters.

'Have you called for me, my Prince?'

'Order the crew to take us back to my estate. I am not to be disturbed under any circumstances, is that understood?'

'Of course, my Prince. Shall you order something for the dinner?'

'No, I'm not hungry. Now get out.'

As Pietro left, Borghese went to lock the door; he then pulled out the piece of parchment that he took from the cave and spread it on the table.

He was delighted to see that it was definitely a map – and a very old map. It almost faded out, but Valerio could make out several writings and markings; they indicated that it was a map of the region referred today as Eastern Gallia and a portion of Great Desert beyond it. In the top right corner, he could see a crude drawing of a mountain ridge; there was a name written in Elven language.

_GMRRH_

Somehow he felt that this map was a real treasure, not all this old junk which now was in _Ostland_'s cargo hold. Little blue-haired bitch and her cronies can have it – after all, there were no gold or gems, only a stinky mummy and broken alchemical hardware, both of which could fetch only a symbolic price as curiosities.

And Prince Valerio Borghese did not like symbolic prices.

It all started when Valerio's grandfather, who was a simple low-ranking Romalian noble, stumbled upon an old crypt during one of his hunting trips – apparently, several hundred years ago it was set up and then forgotten; the hillside collapsed due to heavy rains, revealing the entry. Inside were several chests filled with gold, jewelry and trinkets – worldly possessions of a high-ranking cardinal who died long ago and took his wealth with him.

It was no secret that many Halkeginian nobles were devoted collectors. Some craved for paintings, some for statues, and some for magical artifacts. Old Borghese knew some of them – and after several successful deals, he established himself as a good dealer. Soon, he went on another treasure hunt – and again returned with hands full of merchandise.

Of course, not all of his findings were destined to turn in secret collections; coins and ingots went straight to his safe. Feeling that he should diversify his business, old Borghese opened a small bank, advertised as a helping hand to nobles who were struggling with debts. It quickly became a very profitable enterprise – not least because of generous "donations" made by Borghese's "other" clientele. In several years, he became one of the richest men in Romalia.

Eventually, old Borghese revealed the source of his sudden wealth to his son – and they formed a highly successful team. There were many lost crypts and graves scattered around Halkeginia, left from the old times – all what was needed to find them was hard work, and they were ready for it. Theft from the dead was a crime punishable by jail or even death by Halkeginian laws – but they did not care about it, as many prosecutors and judges were their regular customers.

And ten years ago it was Valerio's turn to lead the family business. By this time, there was a new trend – Elves. Anything that came out from Nephtys and its surroundings – weapons, artifacts, jewelry – would sell for a small fortune. Church laws banned the possession of anything of Elven origin – but it just aroused potential buyers, and Valerio himself was a proud owner of a vast collection.

And if this map was genuine and his translation of Elven script was right, it could lead him to one of the greatest lost treasures in the history of Halkeginia.

The Forsaken City.

…

They spent the entire day removing the cave's contents and placing them into the _Ostland_'s cargo hold. Du Pont, still disgruntled, made them to do it by hand; when Guiche attempted to use Levitation spell in order to lift the broken table, he got a pretty long stream of invective from the Gallian.

Having been defeated, Borghese excused himself and went back to his yacht. Soon after that, one of the crewmembers approached them and told that his master was ill. He had to get back to Romalia immediately, he said, and went back to the yacht. Minutes later, _Scire_ soared into the sky and soon vanished in the clouds.

Finally, the loading was over, and Colbert gave the signal for take-off. The funnel spat out a cloud of thick black smoke as the steam engine came to life, and the mighty airship soared up in the air, leaving the small camp and its occupants behind. Louise, Saito and others stood at the main deck, waving goodbyes.

As Saito went inside, he felt a light pull on his sleeve; he turned over and saw Tabitha.

'Meet in the galley tonight. Tell the others.'

...

'Where did you get this?' Kirche asked her blue-haired friend, who just revealed her little "souvenir" to the others.

'In the crypt.' she answered.

'Big sis didn't want to give it to that Romalian – right, sis?' Iloc smiled and hugged her master.

Colbert gently took the crystal and held it against the light, examining its inner structure.

'Shards like this – I've read about them.' he said. 'It's called memory crystal – an Elven magical artifact that allows its user to store his memories inside. Art of their creation is considered long-lost, and to find one intact is a miracle – they're very brittle and can easily break.'

He smiled to Tabitha. 'Awesome, Your Majesty! If Prince Valerio saw this, he would have invoked the Romalian Anti-Elven Laws – seizing all our findings in the name of the Church!'

'Can we see what's stored inside?' Guiche asked. 'There may be some information about this place.'

Professor nodded. 'Indeed, Monsieur Grammon. Let me think… Yes, that must be it.'

As Professor started to chant, the crystal lit up with a faint blue light; it then rose from Colbert's hand and emanated a wide beam of light, forming a colorless translucent image – just like a projector from famous movie, Saito smiled to himself.

It was an old man with a bald head and bushy beard, dressed in long robes; in one hand, he held a large vial, filled with dense liquid. A large tripod with a bowl on top stood before him.

Old, trembling voice filled the room.

'_My name is Hymir, the eldest son of Brimir the Great._'

'Isn't that a Queen Henrietta's ancestor?' Montmorency whispered. Guiche put a finger to his lips.

'_I've decided to record all my experiments with father's shard on this memory crystal – that would aid my memory, which, to my utter dismay, is failing me more and more often.'_

They watched as Hymir poured liquid into the bowl; he then produced a little porous rock and gently lowered it into the liquid. Nothing happened.

'_Attempt to use dissolving potion failed – it has no noticeable effect on the shard._'

Several records showed Hymir applying various magic and potions – some of them unknown – to the mysterious rock; none of them worked.

'_I've recycled a small fraction in a fine dust and fed it to a small frog that I've captured back in the city. Of course, I've made sure that it will be safe – the frog is currently resides in a reinforced glass bowl which is surrounded by a magic defense field. I can't wait for the results!'_

Montmorency frowned in disgust.

On the next record, the background has changed; Hymir now stood in the middle of broken magic hardware, not unlike that they found. Even without colors, they could see that the old man beamed with joy, and his voice became triumphant.

'_Finally, a breakthrough! The frog has… changed, to say the least. It became all-black, its eyes glowing. But more importantly, it became highly aggressive – it smashed the bowl, and it was only the magic field that prevented its escape. I've decided to end the poor creature's life – and I was astonished when I've finally managed to kill it with a concentrated fireball. Apparently, the dust had transfigured the frog, giving it some magical features – namely, the shield that defends it from all sorts of attacks.'_

'Black skin? Glowing eyes? Shield?' Louise frowned. 'Sounds strikingly familiar…'

On the next record, Hymir, dressed in the same mage attire as the corpse in the cave, stood before small metal cage; inside, was a reptilian creature.

'That's a fire dragon!' Iloc exclaimed.

'_Yesterday, I've acquired a new test subject – a little fire dragon, who wandered into my cave in search for food. Dragonlings are extremely easy to tame, if you know an ancient Elven spell that can wipe one's mind and force it to do your bidding. I've decided to name him Tilly – after my late dog. Let's hope that he would be equally obedient – and that he would remain docile after the experiments.'_

I don't like where it's going, Saito thought.

'_If this shard's magic can project such powerful shield on a frog – I dare to imagine what it could do to a fire dragon! If I find a way to harness the aggressiveness, it might be the ultimate weapon that would allow us to reclaim our Holy Lands – and to take our revenge against the Elves! Forgive me, Tilly, but I have to try this. Come here.'_

He opened the cage and waved his hand. The dragonling jumped out of his confinement and slowly approached him; he then hissed angrily and fixed his eyes on Hymir's shard.

'_Til-'_

In a fraction of second, friendly dragonling turned into a beast of prey. He jumped at his new master with his jaws wide open and his claws extended; old Hymir didn't have a chance against creature's onslaught. The reptile clutched his right hand in its jaws, swallowing it completely; Hymir shrieked in pain, trying to get free.

'_No!'_

Tilly doubled his efforts – and old man's arm finally gave up before his teeth. The bones snapped under the pressure, and dragon's teeth finished the job.

Iloc shut her eyes tight, frightened by the scene.

'_AAAAAAARGH!'_

Hymir screamed wildly and flopped to the floor, gaping at the blooded stump in place of his right arm. The dragonling didn't waste any time. With a loud gulp, it swallowed Hymir's severed limb – along with the rock – and continued its attack. Its front claws bore into old man's chest, tearing it apart…

…and then the record cut short. Apparently, the crystal was tied to Hymir's vital signs – and being an old frail man, he quickly succumbed under Tilly's onslaught.

…

For several minutes, they all sat in silence; everyone tried to process the grim truth.

'So this abomination was not an ancient evil,' Saito said with a nervous smile. 'The most dangerous creature in Halkeginia was a result of a scientific experiment gone wrong.'

'Well, at least now I know the name of fucking bastard I've crashed my jet fighter into. Tilly, for crying out loud!' he laughed. 'Made by Hymir the Loony, who couldn't contain his fucking guinea pig!'

'Familiar! Behave yourself!' Louise shouted. 'Watch your words!'

'I know, alright? There is no need to blow me up, damn it!' Saito said as he put his head in his hands. 'That's just… I don't know.'

Indeed, Louise really wanted to draw her wand and blow up this stupid dog, but forced herself to calm down as she recalled the circumstances of their first – and thank Founder, the last – encounter with Tilly. In fact, she just couldn't raise her hand – deep inside, she knew that Saito was completely right to blame Hymir and his foolishness.

'Saito, this shard – could it be that "black dust" you've told about earlier?' Colbert asked him.

'I don't know, Sensei. So far, everything fits together – at least according to that Russian.' Saito said, not raising his head.

'I'm more interested in this stone,' Louise said. 'How comes that a simple shard could get such properties? Turning a simple fire dragon into an almost indestructible creature…'

'Good question, Lady Valliere. Perhaps we'll be able to dig something in Royal Archives?' Colbert answered. 'I'll send an inquiry right after our return.'

'We are all overlooking one quite serious problem,' Guiche said. 'Should we reveal all of that to Her Majesty or not?'

'What do you mean, you idiot? Of course we should!' Monmon snapped. 'To withhold such information is treason! You've already been incarcerated - that was not enough?'

Guiche shook his head.

'My beautiful Montmorency, please listen to me. This crystal contains information that implicates Hymir, the founder of Tristain, in a crime that maybe was the worst in written history. Not to mention that he was Princess' direct ancestor. She will be simply devastated!'

'I agree with Monsieur Gramont,' Colbert said. 'If this information falls into wrong hands – anything could happen. The Dynasty itself could collapse!'

'And we all know that Princess has many enemies,' Saito, who finally managed to gather his mind, added. 'They would love to make it to the public.'

'And that's exactly why we should tell her,' Kirche interjected. 'She then could plan preemptive steps!'

Louise, who was silent during the dispute, suddenly raised her head and turned to face Colbert.

'Professor, you said that these crystals are very fragile, right?'

'Yes, but why…'

'Because I know exactly what to do.'

In one fast move, she snatched the crystal and threw it against the wall. The glass stone exploded into a tiny fragments and a cloud of glittering dust as it hit the wooden bulkhead.

'Louise, what are you doing?' Saito shouted at his wife.

Louise just lowered her head; tears streamed down her cheeks as she answered him in a low voice.

'She had suffered enough.'

…

**Western Kamchatka**

Having delivered its cargo, the old freighter steamed back to the safety of international waters. As its black smoke plume disappeared over the horizon, Kruger walked off the pier and back to base. It was the time to brief his small army about upcoming events.

He became a mercenary shortly after fall of apartheid – as there was nothing more left for him to do. New government wanted to hang him for his actions, and Hendrik, along with some of his fellow Recces, was forced to flee from South Africa. He quickly found a job in Sierra Leone; then he moved on to Congo, then to Liberia. Ravaged by civil wars, Africa offered limitless job opportunities for a man of his talents – and various presidents and rebel leaders were willing to ignore his origins and past deeds in exchange for his service.

As years passed, he managed to assemble a small team of misfits, fugitives and war criminals like him – and soon, this team has become famous for its deadly efficiency – and bloody atrocities committed in order to fulfill their goals. There were sixteen of them – men of various origins, hailing from all over the globe. Some of them, like ex-SAS operative Lyle Fogerty, couldn't find a decent civilian job, as they knew only how to kill; others, like ex-Spetsnaz Konstantin Svetlov, were dishonorably discharged from duty for excessive violence and other crimes.

All of them were proficient with anything that could kill. All of them were ready to kill anyone – as long as they were paid enough. And all of them were smart enough not to ask questions.

Two years ago, Kruger was approached by a Russian man, who offered him and his team to work as his "security consultants". As it turned out, it was not a quiet retirement, but actually a step up the ladder. Who knew that a Russian nuclear physicist can order to protect his arms trade with North Korea from US Navy SEALs?

And now Galvanov sends us on the most unusual mission in the history, Hendrik thought as he entered the main hangar. All of the mercenaries, along with Matilda, were already here, seated around a large makeshift table covered with green tarp; they stood up to greet their boss.

'I suppose all of you were briefed about Halkeginia and its customs?' Kruger asked them.

'_Ja_, Kommandant.' Pieter De Falco, a tall brown-haired man in fatigues similar to that of his boss, nodded. Back in their Recces days, he was Kruger's deputy – and continued to serve in this role after their expulsion from the Forces by the new government. His past adventures gave him a very distinct feature – black patch in place of left eye, a grim souvenir from a meeting with Zulu freedom fighter armed with assegai spear.

'Well then, let's start with our main objective.'

Kruger removed the tarp; under it, was a detailed scale model of a medieval castle, complete with walls, towers and surrounding area. He then waved for his men to converge around the table.

'This is the Royal Tristainian Palace, or, as it shall be called from now on, Site One. Our task is simple: get in and secure it for a future use as the main base.'

'We will split into five teams.'

'I will lead Alfa – Miller, Daniels, O'Malley, Doroshev, while Fogerty will take command of Bravo – comprising of Croft, Pulaski, Bertrand and Miller. We will be in charge of securing the castle interior.'

'Svetlov will lead Charlie – that would be Torres, Markovich, Carver and Bear. You are our heavy support, so don't forget to pack some boomsticks and that Kord of yours,' he nodded to ex-VDV brute with clean-shaved head, jokingly nicknamed after the animal symbol of Russia for his enormous strength and Siberian origins.

'Stromberg and Rodriguez, you are Delta team – our sniper support. And finally, De Falco and Matilda – you are Zulu team, our infiltration unit.'

'We will arrive via World Door portal in ten kilometers east from the Site One. Then Zulu team will secure a method of transportation. The current plan is to intercept and capture a convoy that hauls provisions for the royal court; that would enable us to enter the palace grounds disguised as local merchants.'

Hendrik then pulled a matchbox from his pocket and placed it near the castle gates, making a model convoy.

'Mister Fogerty, would you kindly lend me one of your mags?'

The Englishman pushed magazine release button on his SR-47 rifle, caught the curved black box in mid-air and tossed it to his boss.

'As soon as we're near the main gate, Charlie and Delta teams will disembark and take their designated positions – here and here.' Kruger said as he flicked several rounds out of the magazine and placed them around the gates. 'Alfa, Bravo and Zulu would continue to the stables, where unloading zone is located.'

He then removed the roof. Made from memory by Matilda, the model castle sported a detailed interior, complete with doors, windows and even furniture. The whole second floor also could be removed, exposing the throne room and the main floor. This feature was invaluable for operation planning; it helped immensely to quickly memorize the interior layout, which was crucial in a mission where time was greatly limited.

'As soon as we enter the stables, Zulu team dispatches any enemies found inside. They then proceed to secure the kitchens. There should be only the commoners, most probably unarmed; lock them all in the staff quarters.'

Several more 7.62x39s took their places inside the model. 'Alfa team – our target is the first floor, lobby and the immediate area. Then take positions at the main doors to the throne room, located here.'

'Bravo team – you will ascend to the upper floors, using the servant stairs. Your targets are corridors, royal sleeping quarters and guest rooms, located on the second and third floor. As these would be noble zone, expect little resistance here. After you complete the sweep, exit to the roof, take positions above the throne room windows and prepare your ropes.'

'And then, as I give the signal, the fun part begins.' Hendrik smiled.

'Alfa and Bravo will storm the throne room. Alfa enters via main door, breaching it if needed; and Bravo enters via windows. High value targets are expected to be inside, including the princess; so be careful with your shots.'

'Charlie team – you must secure the main gate, courtyard and musketeer barracks, located here. And Delta – your task is to eliminate any guards on the walls, and then you are to provide cover for Charlie, and also put down any stragglers in the courtyard.'

'We've got around half an hour to secure our objective and set up a defense perimeter – after which our boss will arrive at the scene. I suggest we don't upset him. Any questions?'

Svetlov raised his hand. 'Any info on the enemy troops?'

'There should be around twenty Musketeer girls; most of them should be in their barracks, but couple or so is always near the Queen or patrols the castle. Other than that, there should be no guards; according to our current intel, the Royal Army is on the maneuvers and won't be able to interfere in time.'

'What are rules of engagement, sir?' Fogerty asked.

'Royal musketeers and any other guards are to be shot on sight – we do not want any resistance pockets. All nobles are classified as high value targets and are to be taken alive and unharmed – especially Princess and her entourage,' Kruger answered. 'Remember that they need some time to cast the spell, and cannot cast without wand – so keep your eyes open and disarm any noble as soon as you see him.'

He gestured to Matilda. 'You may ask her to cast something harmless, to practice your disarming moves – but for God's sake, don't break our only witch!'

She threw an angry look to Hendrik as giggles filled the room.

'And if some noble prick would like to play it hard and go all John McClane on us?' De Falco asked.

Kruger shrugged. 'Simple: blow his brains out. More questions?'

There were none.

'Well then, time for our new guns, freed from FSB's dungeons by a certain kind man.' Hendrik grinned and opened one of the weapon crates. He then pulled out large, menacingly-looking bullpup assault rifle with several attachments and held it before audience.

'I present to you _Avtomat Shturmovoy_, or ASh-12.7 for short. Designed especially for close-quarter combat, fires 12.7-millimeter armor-piercing bullets. Would come in very handy in a world populated by fucking knights in a shining armor!' he chuckled. 'Twenty-round magazine, shoots five hundred per minute.'

'Comes with a red dot sight, silencer and this nice bonus.' He patted the cylinder that was attached to the fore-end, straight ahead of the trigger. 'GP-3000 under-barrel revolver grenade launcher. It's not silenced, so use with caution. Holds three 25-millimeter high-explosive-incendiary grenades. Easy to fire, reload and maintain.'

He put the ASh back into its crate and reached for another gun – this time, it was a sniper rifle with a huge silencer that constituted almost a half of the gun's entire length.

'There's something for you, Leena – the VKS sniper rifle. Again, 12.7-mm APs – but this time, you can distribute your medicine from a comfortable distance.'

Leena Stromberg, a tall blue-eyed Swede woman with blonde hairs made in a crew cut, smiled in delight; if there was a thing she truly loved, it would be killing another man with a large-bore sniper rifle.

'There are also other weapons – like these AK-103s and Remington shotguns,' Kruger gestured at the crates. 'I suggest you go to the firing range and play with your new toys. Operation starts in 36 hours from now. Dismissed!'

* * *

_Author's notes: Human error – the most common cause of planet-wide disasters._

_Also, mercs. I love mercs. Every action novel author does, actually – they offer an unparalleled degree of creative freedom. But remember, folks – witches tend to go FUBAR when mixed with mercs. Ask Dorothy Gale, she knows._

_ASh-12.7, VKS, RPO-M and other weapons mentioned are, of course, real and contemporary. However, GP-3000 is a pure work of educated fiction and is based on several photos of GL-equipped ASh-12.7._

_And of course, all of this stuff (and more stuff!) will be used in a proper way pretty soon. Stay tuned!_


End file.
